Fullmetal warrior cats
by SapphireClaw
Summary: Starclan called him there. he didn't know why, but poor confused Edward Elric must find out soon. only a year after things returned to normal and Al got his body, Ed's world had to be turned upside down once again. a freak 'accident' brought about by an unknown alchemist caused disaster for both the brothers and the military. Al is fine, but Edward wasn't so lucky. (spoilers!)
1. Author's note

Author's note

Hi, I'm SapphireClaw. While reading this, Keep in mind that I am still a noob in more ways than one here on fanfiction. I'm l working out the kinks and getting used to this.

I have been reading the few warrior cat FMA crossover stories there are here on fanfiction. It truly surprised me that there were so many, at least 10! But after reading some, I realized 90% (if not all) of the stories were discontinued or haven't been updated in FOREEEVER. all of them were Awesome Sauce. But a couple were weird or sloppy.

I shouldn't be talking, I'm a noob at this site but not a newbie at writing. So I can't go around distinguishing good from bad on another's work. And besides, the worst one was probably due to a computer glitch. It had no punctuation whatsoever. Even then it was still an interesting story.

I gotta say, if you want to write a fanfiction on a subject, do NOT read ones that others have made before starting your own. I feel this way cuz the author's stories were great! They had funny parts, good personality and point of view. After a while of reading them, you feel the urge to put some of their ideas into your own story.

But to me, it is a BIG no-no to steal another's idea. I am hard on myself if I do that kind of stuff. But it's hard to bypass all these great and funny story ideas (even if they are only a small scene during a story), that come from a story that was discontinued! I feel sad to think that these funny bits and pieces are in a story that will never be finished.

But what I am trying to say is if you see a piece of my story that looks familiar to you, I apologize in advance. I am easily distracted and might sway from the plot a little or take a while to post another chapter, but I'll try to stay on track!

PS: the time spent in Amestris before the Warriors part will be quite long. Although I have no idea what it will be... Wait... I just had an idea! It's going to be even longer as a result so you'll have to wait a while for kitties. And it's kinda a mean idea.. Muahaha! :3

PSS: author's notes will be in ( ). Important ones will always be between paragraphs.

Also, just because I need to say it. THERE ARE NO COUPLES! other than the ones already existing in the books and anime. Even those don't even play a major role here anyway. Except for cat friends Ed gain while in the warrior world. But other than that there isn't really any personal/ unusual/awkward emotion between characters with no prior history.

Last PS, I promise!: I also tend to describe Edward's personality (and Ed in general) as younger. I just like how he acted before he was older, when he was more of a dork. Although he seems young in this story, remember that he's older, k? :3

CONTEXT  
This story takes place after Alphonse has his body back. I REALLY disagreed with the brotherhood ending (but loved it nonetheless cuz it was bad-assed C:) with Ed loosing his alchemy and all. So let's just say that Ed keeps both his brother, AND his alchemy!

Happy day!...…

Right? (muahhha! :D)

(I lied :D, ANOTHER PSSS): since Ed can preform alchemy, he is still part of the military. But Alphonse is not part of the Military (not professionally/ officially anyway) although he helps out often.

Wow... That was a looooong author's note... Sorry!


	2. Chapter 1

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 1: The assignment

POV: 3rd person

A black car rounded a turn and drove up to an intersection and stopped. The passengers could only stare at the fog surrounding the car and the wet grey pavement. It looked like a normal depressing spring day, raining nonstop.

Besides the dreary weather, the passengers inside the black vehicle were surprisingly cheerful. All except one, a small blonde that sat by a window. (We all know and love him, that Ed Elric! :P )

Another blond was in the car, Alphonse Elric. he looked slightly like Ed but had shorter, darker hair (nearly brown ;P) than his brother. he was also a tiny bit taller than him. (but don't tell Ed that!)

Al excitedly talked to the driver, a light blonde woman named Riza Hawkeye. (Whats with all the blonde characters?!) He asked where they were going, why, if it was going to be dangerous, etc. Riza answered some of Al's questions but mostly kept her attention on the road.

Edward was lost in his thoughts. His head was against the cold glass, tapping his finger against the door as he thought. Mustang had commanded him to join a group of soldiers out in the country to find a man that had been causing trouble in central. "Why was mustang rounding up so many soldiers to capture ONE person?" Ed wondered.

He knew that this man was dangerous, a serial killer that used some kind of alchemy in a very strange way. He called himself "Phsyqe" (pronounced like the beginning of Psycho, minus the o. I thought it sounded and looked cool) and had the reputation to match.

He would use alchemy to change or damage a person's brain. At the very least the alchemical reaction would cut off some part of the victim's brain from the rest of the body. It could cause paralysis and communication disabilities. But "Phsyqe" only seemed to attack the nerves, motor skills, and even willpower. Most of these cases did not end in death, but they were crippled for life.

The killer usually attacks soldiers he encounters while searching for something unknown. But there have been a few civilian victims. the people who were attacked weren't damaged too badly and recovered quickly. It seemed that the only fatal attacks Phsyqe has ever used were on military personnel, never on civilians.

(I'm just now realizing how much this sounds like scar... Yeesh... But I assure you, it is not scar. In fact, scar is no longer a threat to the military ever since he vowed never to kill another alchemist, remember? Phsyqe even has to make contact with the body in order to transmute, like scar did... Meh...)

Although the man did not kill civilians, he was still a murderer, And the military had to put a stop to his crimes.

POV: Edward

"gahh... Are we there yet?!" I sighed after two hours in the car. I hit my head against the window impatiently as the scenery flew by.

"No, Edward. For the seven millionth time, we are not there yet!" Riza yelled, obviously annoyed.

I gave an exaggerated sigh and sat back down in my seat. My arm held my head up as I stared out the window.

"at least it stopped raining..." I said, trying to cheer myself up.

"that's the spirit, brother! Stay positive." Alphonse said in response to my comment on the weather, delving into a boring conversation on the subject, AGAIN.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~squigglies o3o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: 3rd person

About three hours of driving later, the three passengers arrived at their destination.

A door flew open, Edward flailed and fell out of the car dramatically, "Finally! We made it! I have never been so bored in my entire life!" He gasped.

"But me and Riza talked to you the whole way here!" Al said sadly.

Edward stood up and shrugged, "it's not as entertaining when all we talked about was Riza's stupid dog and the weather." Ed argued.

Al sighed and followed his brother as he walked away.

A huge group of soldiers was stationed in a meadow surrounded by thick woods. It wasn't even a very large clearing, only having enough room for the soldiers plus extra space.

Edward, Alphonse, and Riza approached Roy Mustang at the front of the crowd and saluted. He looked worried about something... Mustang excused Riza but told Ed and Al he wanted to speak with them.

Roy leaned down a little to whisper, but Edward took that to offense. "WHAT?! am I so close to the ground that I can't hear you at that altitude?!" Ed raged, mocking some of Roy's recent short jokes.

Mustang face-palmed and shook his head. The one time he was being serious and didn't mean to annoy Edward, he gets mad anyway.

After Ed calmed down, Roy was able to talk. "We have intel that the killer is in this forest and heading west. as you know, this murderer is very dangerous. He uses alchemy that messes with the nervous system. But that also gives us an advantage, he must come into contact with a person in order to cause a reaction and the witnesses said he was unarmed." Roy said.

"yeah, yeah! We know that already." Ed growled impatiently.

Mustang gave him an annoyed look. "alright, but do you know our strategy, the enemy's location, and why he was killing all those soldiers?" Roy said angrily.

"Uh... No." Edward said shamefully and quit talking.

"well, the first two aren't important. I should have realized this sooner, or else you wouldn't be here..." Roy trailed off, cursing at his stupidity under his breath. His voice sounded worried like before.

"why? Why shouldn't we be here?" Ed asked.

"I was taking a last glance at the killer's victims and noticed something odd. He used a different kind of alchemy only on blonde soldiers..." Mustang stopped again.

"he's racist towards blonds, so what?!" Edward said, beginning to get worried.

"we knew the murderer was searching for something... When we had him in custody he mentioned a goal to find something or someone. But he somehow escaped the next day before-"

Edward cut off Mustang's words. "This isn't going anywhere! Get to the point, dammit!" Ed yelled.

Mustang gave Ed an annoyed look. but a tiny, unseen trace of fear was mixed with worry in his eyes, fear for Ed's life.

"alright Fullmetal... But I am telling you this not only as an order from the highest ranking officer, but as a concerned friend too." Roy said solemnly.

"w-what is it?" Edward said in a shaky voice. If mustang meant what he just said, then this is very serious.

"we believe that Phsyqe is searching for you, Ed. He has been known to hang around the victim longer if it is blonde... And small." for once Ed didn't get angry at the mention of 'small.' "Witnesses claim to see him examining the body before fleeing the crime scene." Mustang explained.

"He even attacked the soldiers differently... He..." Roy stopped and looked at Ed. This was the fourth time he stopped talking in the middle of it. "What he did to them isn't important, what is important is your safety." Roy said instead.

"Ok... So what do we do about this? If we don't stop him, then he will continue to kill more soldiers until he succeeds in fulfilling his goal." Edward said, somewhat calmer now.

"first of all, we need to get you out of here." Roy decided. "Lieutenant!" he called.

The blonde soldier was at Roy's side in a matter of seconds. "yes sir?" she asked.

"I need you to take Fullmetal and his brother back to central, immediately. And don't let him drive, you remember what happened last time we told him to leave when he didn't want to." Mustang commanded urgently and walked away.

Riza saluted him and started to head towards the car.

Nobody saw the man spying from the shadowy trees directly behind Mustang. he gave a creepy grin at what he heard.

"at last... My search is over. As will be yours..." he said ominously, staring up at the blue sky.


	3. Chapter 2

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 2: disaster

POV: 3rd/all

Riza Hawkeye started the car in silence. Nether Ed or Al spoke as the vehicle backed out and began to drive down the dirt road. They both were still confused by the information they just received. Ed had already accepted it for the most part, although it will still take the whole situation a little more time to sink in.

Riza was the first to break the silence. "I know this is a lot for you to process. Especially because Scar was the only person out to murder you before, and now he's stopped killing alchemists, as far as we know." she said, trying to break the mood.

When only silence answered, Riza started to get frustrated. "Edward, listen to me. This is important." she said firmly.

Ed sighed, deciding to answer Riza. "I know. But we've gotten used to less activity around Amestris after we got rid of the homunculi. At least there's something interesting happening for once."

Silence filled the car once more. Riza sighed but did not try to start another conversation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squigglies~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: Edward

The trees whizzed by the window as I watched the landscape. This is almost as boring as it was coming here... Besides the whole ordeal back there.

Suddenly, there was a tiny flash of orange in the corner of my vision. I quickly sat up and looked out of the window to try and find the light again.

"alchemy?" I murmured to myself. "but who would be using alchemy in the forest?" (each alchemist has a color specific to them btw) The only person I knew who made orange light during a reaction when using alchemy was Mustang. But this was a lighter color...

Another orange flash. I was ready for it this time, definitely light from an alchemical reaction... But why was it so close to the road?... "Oh crap..."

"RIZA!" I shouted.

But the warning was too late, another flash and a huge pillar of rock flew from the forest and struck the car. Riza gasped in shock as the steering wheel was jerked from her hands as the vehicle flipped over.

The car crashed and rolled onto the side of the road. My vision blurred, I forced myself to stay conscious but I was blacking out.

I awoke after only a few moments of being unconscious. My hand instinctively reached for where Al was sitting to be sure he wasn't hurt. But there was nothing there. I snapped wide awake, I had nearly blacked out again.

"AL?... ALPHONSE!" I shouted.

I realized that I was still inside the car, broken glass surrounded the wreckage. I struggled to crawl out, but the crash left me with wounds that limited my movement.

I slowly pulled myself towards a window, using my arms to support most of my weight. The car window was completely obliterated, almost all shards were clean from the opening, making it easier to escape without more injuries.

I pushed myself through the window. My vision was suddenly filled with the blinding light of day. Although it was bright, I could make out a tall figure standing over a much smaller person...

"ALPHONSE!" I shouted again.


	4. Chapter 3

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 3: the chase

POV: 3rd/All  
(This is what's happening to Roy during chapter2)

"Crap! He's headed for the road!" Roy yelled, running as fast as he could. His soldiers followed close behind, guns in hand.

Another flash of orange flared. A stone object flew by Roy's body, nearly killing him. He stumbled in shock but recovered quickly and kept sprinting.

"There!" Roy shouted, spotting a fleeing man.

The alchemist raised his gloved hand and snapped, the dark orange lightening flew into the trees in the direction of the dark figure, an explosion closely followed. "Damn!" Roy growled. It always seemed to miss the agile figure one way or another.

"Well at least Fullmetal and his brother are safely driving..." The realization hit Roy like the stone that had nearly killed him earlier. his blood ran cold, his fears were true.

"SHIT!" Roy yelled. "ALL SOLDIERS MOVE TOWARDS THE ROAD! HE'S GOING FOR FULLMETAL!" Mustang roared.

Another explosion sounded. Not the kind Roy made, it sounded like something solid hitting metal...

"shit Shit SHIT!" Mustang cursed.

He somehow found the energy to sprint faster despite running for 20 minutes strait. Roy's sudden burst of energy seemed to influence the rest of the soldiers as they ran faster along with their führer.

The troop finally burst through the forest and onto the open road. The exhausted soldiers tried not to rest but most collapsed from exhaustion.

Mustang looked up to search for the brothers, desperately hoping that they were alright. But to his horror and dismay, Roy saw the murderer already looming over Alphonse, ready to kill. Al was unconscious, unable to fight back. Roy's heart seemed to skip a beat, he couldn't run to Al or transmute anything with the little energy he had left. All Mustang could do was watch...

(SUPAH SHORT CHAPTER! o3o *kissy face*)


	5. Chapter 4

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 4: The Struggle

POV: Edward.

"ALPHONSE!" I gasped, struggling to stand.

I transmuted my automail arm into a blade and somehow stood. I saw Roy Mustang in the corner of my eye, he was shouting at me and his soldiers.

he looks scared somehow... That's not like him at all, at least in showing his fear physically instead of hiding it behind his tough exterior.

Author's note:  
(I keep forgetting that Ed's arm isn't automail anymore. So I keep mentioning it being metal and him using it as a weapon like he used to. I like him better with his automail arm anyway... :3)

I returned my attention to the murderer. I gasped when I saw his hand reaching down towards Al. A transmutation circle was tattooed into each hand.

"YOU LEAVE MY LITTLE BROTHER ALONE!" I roared, charging at the man.

"little brother?" the man said, looking back down at Alphonse. "I'm sorry..." he said apologetically, stepping away.

I swiped my metal arm at him when I was within range. He dodged me easily. I'm loosing blood... I'm clumsy from exhaustion... I might loose this battle.

"YOU IDIOT! DAMMIT, LISTEN TO ME!" I heard Mustang for the first time. How long has he been shouting?

"GET AWAY FROM HIM FULLMETAL!" he yelled.

I shook my head, trying to stay conscious, it was as if a darkness pushed at the back of my mind.

"I must... protect... my brother.." I stammered.

"oh, I don't want to hurt your brother." the man told me, hearing what I had said moments before.

As if to prove it, he took a step away from Al. But it was also a step closer to me.

"you don't understand." I gasped. "Neither of us can die... Because we need each other... WE'RE ALL WE'VE GOT!" I yelled, somehow finding energy and dashed towards the man again.

This time when he dodged, I stumbled and barely stayed on my feet. The man seemed to wait for me to recover...

"I don't plan on killing you!" the murderer laughed.

I was taken by surprise when he said those words. "Then what do you plan on doing then?!" I snapped.

The man smiled at me, but something changed in his expression. He seemed to act reasonably before, but now... There's something else... His eyes changed from insane to deadly.

Paying no mind to the change in attitude, I foolishly charged him again, swinging the blade. I suddenly noticed the transmutation circles on his hands were glowing orange.

"Edward, you have been summoned." the man suddenly said, lunging towards me.

The last thought I had was "But I can't go... I'm all he's got..."

POV: Mustang

In a sudden burst of energy, I began running towards the two alchemists. Ed was clumsily charging at the murderer, who easily dodged the weak attacks. Why did we have to be so far away! I thought angrily. I was tempted to snap and kill the murderer, but Edward's exhausted, stumbling movements were too unpredictable. Hitting him would be too much of a risk.

I sprinted, desperately hoping that Ed would be ok. I've grown quite attached to him, he was one of my best friends. and it would be a waste to loose such a valuable and powerful state alchemist.

"Just stay alive, you little bastard." I said to myself as I neared them.

Edward tried to charge at the man again. I noticed the light earlier than Ed did. The criminal did not dodge Ed's attack this time, he grabbed him as he swiped by. Ed only managed to cut the man's leg, making it bleed.

Edward had already realized that the psycho had him right where he wanted, he was as good as dead. The man had his right hand on Ed's shoulder. (although Phsyqe used alchemy on the brain, he can use it at any point of your body using the nerves that connected the brain to every limb) Ed was too exhausted from blood loss and pain to fight any longer.

Author's note:  
(This still sounds WAY too much like Scar... It's bugging me..)

"GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU BASTARD!" I snarled as I flew towards the two alchemists.

"Edward Elric, you have been summoned" he said before the murderer transmuted, I could have touched him when it happened, I was so close but still too late.

My body crashed into the psychotic alchemist, forcing him to topple onto the pavement.

"FULLMETAL!" I screeched as the orange light blinded me.

it engulfed Edward to the point where me and my troops could no longer see him. All I could do was watch helplessly as Edward's body transmuted. I don't know what happened or what Ed was put through at that moment... But it couldn't be good.

When the light faded, I saw Ed's body lying on the road, lifeless. I had the murderer pinned to the ground. I looked down at the man. he didn't look happy for what he'd done, He looked serious and even grim.

All of my anger boiled over. I stood up and raised a fist, ready to transmute. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't torch you right now." I demanded in a slow, rage-filled voice.

The man looked at me and stood up, his arms in the air to show that he wasn't going to fight. But I was sure to stay back in case he decides to use his alchemy on me too.

"One good reason, eh?" the man said casually.

I clenched my teeth, forcing myself not to snap. He was toying with me!

"yes..." I hissed, holding back my anger. "But I'll probably torch you anyway for killing one of our greatest alchemists, and for killing one of my best friends!" I shouted, starting to let my anger feed into my words.

"oh, he's not dead." Phsyqe said with a snicker.

I was startled, "H-He's not dead...?" I repeated, turning my head to look at Edward's body. I could now see the faintest rise and fall of his chest. Relief washed over me, almost making me fall over.

But the relief was gone the moment I realized why the psycho didn't kill Edward. Some of the soldiers.. The ones that looked a little like Ed... They weren't killed... They were forced into an unbreakable coma!

I turned back to the murderer again, he flinched at my gaze. My eyes were full of rage and fiery hatred.

"He's as good as dead! The others you put in a coma couldn't wake up no matter what we tried... you are one sick bastard..." I snarled.

The man snickered again, a smile creeping across his face. "Ha! To you it may be unbreakable, but I know how to undo my work! I can save your little alchemist there," he said.

I stepped closer to the man, threatening to snap. "don't call him little!" I hissed. Look at me, defending the little shrimp... I thought.

"but if you torch me I won't be of much use to you would I? I will tell you how to save Edward Elric. but if you attack me, I won't say anything!" the man said. I swear, if this maniac snickers at me again, I'll burn his face off...

"alright. We will take you into custody for now... But watch yourself, I'm not through with you yet!" I said, still holding back my rage.

I allowed three other officers to restrain the madman. I suddenly realized how exhausted I was. I stumbled backwards, my energy seeming to evaporate.

I regained my footing and sighed. "I need to sit down for a while."

POV: 3rd

"Mustang, sir?" said a female voice behind Roy.

He turned around to see Hawkeye standing there with a broken arm. Mustang waited until she finished her salute to speak.

"Lieutenant... I'm sorry... I didn't look for you in the wreck...-" Mustang apologized.

Riza cut him off, "Don't give me that crap. You did what was needed and I wouldn't want it any other way! Edward was in grave danger. But... We were still too late..." Hawkeye sighed.

Mustang glared in the direction of Phsyqe, locked in the back of a military truck. He was watching Roy and Riza talking with a sick grin on his face, Mustang was sure of it.

"Is there something wrong sir?" Riza asked worriedly when Roy glared off.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine..." he answered finally. "but there's something I don't understand... Before that bastard put Ed in a coma, he said something to him... He said, 'you have been summoned.' or something like that..." Roy said worriedly.

Riza put her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure we'll find out what he meant soon. But for now we must return to central."

she was right and Mustang knew it, "he can't be gone... he's the reason this country is completely free..." he thought aloud.

"And so are you, both of you did this country a huge favor. But we must get back to central. Edward needs serious medical attention" Riza insisted.

Mustang looked over to Ed, field medics were carrying him to an ambulance to be transported to central hospital. He looked so fragile... With the coma, blood loss, and exhaustion all at once, it's a wonder why he's even still alive. Al was lucky, still only unconscious and being taken care of by paramedics too.

Mustang shook his head, "heh... I swear... That little bastard is as stubborn as a homunculus, always seems to live through everything."


	6. Chapter 5

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 5: Fever dreams  
(finally! A kitty chapter :3)

POV: Edward

"ugh... My head..." I said groggily. I sat up, and looked around. "I'm... In a forest?"

the woods were eerie and dark... How did I get here? I struggled to search my most recent memories as to what happened. but all I could remember was a blinding orange light and a terrible pain... And then nothing but darkness.

I sighed and gave up trying to remember, it was making my headache even worse. I rubbed my head with my hand... Wait... Are these... paws?! I thought

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I shouted, looking down at my left hand, which was now a furry yellow-gold colored paw!

I sprang back, confused and terrified. I landed on something soft. I froze, almost afraid to look. I slowly turned my head and saw a fluffy tail the same color as my paws, golden-yellow. I screamed again and jumped to my feet... Er... Paws.

I stared down at myself, I still had automail... But they were shaped as if they were built for a small animal. I felt my head with my left paw. sure enough, a pair of soft pointed ears were atop my head. I looked at my nose, going slightly cross-eyed. A short golden muzzle stretched from my face.

"I'm... I'm... A FREAKING CAT?!"

Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through my head immediately after saying those words. I collapsed onto the ground in agony.

"W-What's happening?!" I gasped. It was as if my headache grew ten times worse.

Almost as fast as it had started, the pain disappeared. I gasped in relief and rubbed my head with my paw. I suddenly stopped, I remembered what happened!

The last day flashed in my mind. "Wh-What the Hell did that psychopath DO TO ME?!" I yowled.

He did something terrible to me. But he only uses alchemy on the brain... And that circle he had on his hand couldn't come close to create a cat chimera as detailed and perfect as this! Let alone combine it with a human, ME!

I frantically looked around at the trees, trying to see if I recognized anything. No... Nothing looked familiar. I was starting to panic now. I sprinted off blindly into the eerie trees. mist writhed around the trunks and buffeted me as I ran.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME YOU BASTARD!?" I screamed into the sky as if the psycho alchemist could hear me.

(Author's note): again, I know Ed only has an automail leg now, but I keep forgetting. So don't get all mad at me because I said Ed has a metal arm.)


	7. Chapter 6

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 6: the hospital  
POV: 3rd/all

Major Armstrong, Havoc, and all others in Mustang's inner circle (other than Hawkeye and Roy) were gathered in a hospital. None of them were present during the incident, but they were told about it immediately after it happened.

The soldiers clustered around a door that led into Ed and Al's room. The younger brother was fine and had no serious injuries, but was still unconscious. All they had to do was wait for him to wake up.

Paramedics were working hard to keep Edward alive and stable. Although his body functioned normally, (despite being in a coma) his mind didn't work. No matter what the doctors did, Ed wouldn't respond. he seemed to be trapped in an endless dream... Or more likely, a nightmare.

The group of soldiers paced around, scared for their friends' lives. A noise interrupted the quiet hallway, a door slamming open. The officers looked in the direction of the noise.

Führer Mustang was stomping out of a hospital room, cursing and struggling to put on his uniform coat. A group of nurses tried to get him back into his room, but Roy refused.

"No. I'm fine! I have to see Edward!" he said to them. "It's my fault this happened to him..." he added quietly.

"Sir! What are you doing?! You are supposed to be resting!" Fury gasped as Roy hastily stormed towards them.

"what does it look like I'm doing?! I have see him!" Mustang said angrily.

Roy stomped up to the Elric brothers' hospital room. But before he could kick the doors down, Armstrong grabbed him.

"Release me at once!" Mustang yelled. Armstrong did as he was told and let go of Roy.

Mustang spun around and looked up at the huge alchemist. "sir, you must calm down. Edward's condition was dire when he arrived, the doctors must make him stable before anyone can enter! One major interruption and Edward could die." Alex said sternly.

Mustang sighed and sat on one of the benches that lined the walls between the rooms.

"I'm sorry Armstrong. I just got carried away. So much has happened lately..." he said sadly.

Armstrong nodded towards the other room in the hallway. "go see Riza. She really cares about you. I talked to her earlier, she thinks that it's her fault what happened to the Elrics too." Alex suggested.

"Yeah. I'll go see Hawkeye... I must seem so selfish to her right now..." Mustang agreed.

He stood up and walked towards Riza's room and opened the door to face whatever wrath Hawkeye had against him...

Mustang left the room and closed the door behind him. He quickly looked himself over to make sure there were no bullet holes, but found there were no injuries. The conversation he dreaded didn't go as badly as he thought. Roy was afraid that Hawkeye would hate him for being so selfish.

She did tell him that what he did was honorable and she wouldn't want it any other way. But Mustang didn't listen to her, he believed that she hated him for worrying about Edward and not her during the accident. But she forgave him.

Riza was only hospitalized for a few hours getting a cast for her broken arm. She was released shortly after her conversation with Mustang. With all of Roy's trusted soldiers present, they waited patiently outside the Elric's room to enter.


	8. Chapter 7

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 7: broken family

POV: 3rd/all

Only an hour and a half of waiting went by when they finally were able to stabilize Edward's condition and allow visitors into his room. But just as they did, someone else arrived.

The young Winry Rockbell stood at the end of the hall. The five soldiers looked at each other nervously, they forgot that Winry was told to come to central right away.

Winry watched as Hawkeye, Alex, Mustang, Fury, and Havoc suddenly started talking nervously among each other.

"You tell her!" Fury whispered, pointing at Havoc.

"What?! I barely know the girl!" he argued.

"I can't do it, have you seen how she acts when she's angry?!" Armstrong said worriedly.

"Enough!" Mustang said firmly. The chatter stopped instantly and all attention was directed toward Roy.

"I will break the news to Winry. Riza, will you help... Er... Join me?" mustang asked.

Hawkeye nodded, "of course I will help. After all, I spent more time with her than you guys." Riza answered.

"then it's settled, me and Hawkeye will break the news to Winry." Mustang stated.

"what news?" a sudden voice said, making everyone, besides Riza, jump. Hawkeye stayed calm while Mustang and the others fell over from the unexpected outburst.

Winry had approached them and overheard the last sentence of the conversation. Mustang got up and looked down at the young teen, she was cheerful despite the urgent call to central.

Mustang glanced behind at his friends for help, only to see them back away from him and Winry.

"Hey! So much for loyal soldiers!" Roy yelled.

"sorry, your on your own with this one. You said you'd tell her." They said nervously.

"Tell me what?" Winry asked again, still happy to see them.

But when Roy's expression changed from nervous to grim, Winry suspected something went wrong.

"What did they do THIS time?" Winry sighed, pulling a wrench from the bag she carried.

Before anyone could stop her, Winry opened the door and barged into Ed and Al's room, wrench in hand. Mustang and the others hurried inside, making sure Winry doesn't hit Edward with the wrench like she always did, it would surely kill him! But they didn't need to persuade her after she saw the Elric's condition.

"E-Ed...? Al? What happened?!" Winry gasped, her eyes wide.

It even shocked the others as they entered, they didn't expect it to be this bad.

The once powerful Elric brothers were both in terrible condition. Alphonse was unconscious and had several bandages that covered wounds from the glass shards cutting him when the car wrecked. He had a minor concussion from hitting the pavement but was definitely going to live.

Edward, however, was not nearly as lucky as his brother. The already small alchemist looked even tinier and fragile. Ed's face was pale and emotionless. You could only barely tell that he was breathing, the only visible thing that deceived the appearance of death.  
The only thing even keeping Edward alive was the medical equipment that was attached to him.

After having a couple minutes to process and realize what was right in front of her, Winry snapped out of the initial shock. She dropped the wrench and let it clang on the floor. Winry fell onto her knees and started crying. Riza placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer some comfort.

"What happened... Who did this?!" Winry demanded, looking strait at Armstrong. (who was closest to her besides Riza)

"I Uh... They um..." Alex stuttered, not wanting to cause the girl any more grief than she already has.

"It was my fault." Mustang spoke up.

Suddenly, something flew through the air and struck him on the head. Armstrong and the others gasped, she attacked the führer! Roy fell over and rubbed his head.

"WHAT THE HELL WINRY!?" Mustang shouted at the enraged girl. She glared down at him, holding a bent wrench in her hands.

"You caused this?! This much damage?! They're nearly dead! You better have an explanation, RIGHT NOW." Winry shouted down at Roy.

He got back up and hung his head sadly. "We do have an explanation..." Mustang said at last. Winry sat down in one of the chairs in the room.

Roy began, "we called both of them to help me and some other troops to take out a serial killer who had been attacking soldiers. We suspected that he was searching for something, but we didn't know what."

"We had a sighting of the killer in the forest where we waited for Ed and Al to arrive. But as I went over the victim list, I noticed some similarities between the soldiers who were attacked and what attacks were used."

"The man was after Ed for reasons unknown to us. But before I could call Hawkeye to take Ed and Al back to central, she arrived with both of them. Because I hadn't noticed the obvious similarities earlier, I put them in harm's way."

"I sent them to travel back to central but the murderer was already after them. He attacked and crashed the car, causing Alphonse's wounds. The psycho mistook Al for Edward and tried to kill him instead. Ed fought him despite major blood loss. The idiot... I told him to get away..."

"And?" Winry said, her voice cracking.

"well... Edward was getting weak so the killer decided to end the fight. When Edward ran after him again, he grabbed Ed and..." Mustang trailed off. Winry was crying again by now and just wanted it to finish.

"Spit it out!" Winry demanded.

Mustang looked Winry in the eyes. "The psycho used some sort of alchemy on Edward... God knows what he went through, being transmuted while still conscious. But at least he lived... But in an unbreakable coma." Mustang finished.

Winry was no longer crying, but furious. "Where is he?! WHERE ARE YOU KEEPING HIM?!" Winry shouted.

Her voice was full of hatred towards whoever caused this. She wanted him to pay for what he did to her family!


	9. Chapter 8

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 8: The Eerie Forest  
(yay! Another kitteh chapter!)

POV: Edward

I blindly rushed past the trees with no idea where I was going. The branches slapped me on my face as I ran but didn't slow me down.

After running for a few minutes, I looked around to see where I was. I was in a large clearing with a giant boulder in the center. The moonlight was much stronger here, making it easier to see. Looking up, I saw a dark sky flooded with stars. It was beautiful. but in Amestris there aren't this many stars. Not even out where Winry lives.

Suddenly, something caught my eye... "Did that star... Move? No, it couldn't have..." I thought aloud.

"Gah! Now all of them are moving!" I said, talking to myself again. The stars began to swirl downwards toward the earth, reaching for the clearing where I sat.

I yowled and hid behind a tree before the star-spiral thing touched down. I watched in disbelief as starry cats began to walk down from the sky, using the stars like a spiral staircase.

I stayed in my hiding spot and waited for the cats to leave. I held my breath, please just go away you freaky cats! I silently chanted. I tried to hide until they left.

"We know your there." a voice called, startling me.

I peeked out and saw that the clearing was full of ghost-like cats with shining specks in their fur. One stood atop the boulder and three sat close to the base.

A grey-blue cat sat on the boulder, her eyes seemed to be full of wisdom. The other three were a small white tortoiseshell calico, a regal lion-like long haired, and a mangy old grey cat. There were dozens more cats in the clearing but they didn't seem as important than the four sitting by the rock.

"come out, we won't hurt you." the blue female called.

I slowly stepped out from behind the tree and warily crawled closer.

I looked up at the wise blue-grey cat, "how are you talking? Your a freaking CAT... Where am I?..." I asked worriedly.

"I am Bluestar, former leader of Thunderclan. And these are my clan-mates, Spottedleaf, Lionheart, and Yellowfang." the cat named Bluestar said.

I nodded to each of the introduced cats, and again asked where I was.

"you are dreaming, dear Edward. But this is no ordinary dream. We have sent for you from your normal life. We gravely need your help." Bluestar explained.

"Wait! YOU sent that psychopath to Amestris to find me?!" I shouted angrily, "He attacked INNOCENT PEOPLE! And killed three soldiers that confronted him!" I yowled, seething with anger.

Bluestar and the other cats seemed genuinely shocked upon hearing this.

"What?! I knew we shouldn't have trusted him! I knew that Sol was evil from the beginning!" snarled the mangy gray she-cat.

"But he owed us a favor and he did as he was told... Eventually." Bluestar said calmly.

"Sol? So thats what that bastard's real name is! He nearly killed my little brother because of you!" I accused.

Bluestar shook her head, "We could only send him in that form to find you. We had no control over what he did next." Bluestar explained.

I still seethed with anger, "MY BROTHER WAS SEVERALLY INJURED BECAUSE OF THAT PSYCHO!" I shouted. "And... I... I was... I can't remember... What did he DO to me?!" I yowled.

Bluestar's gaze softened, "You will be able to join your brother again, all in good time. But now, you must awaken..." the mysterious cat said, her voice sounding grim and eerie.

Suddenly, wind bellowed through the trees, blowing away the starry cats as if they were merely mist. I dug my claws into the ground, trying to stay there.

A voice whispered in my ear, "You must mend the earth before it swallows all. Only then can you return." it said eerily. The voice sounded as if more than one cat was speaking, but they blended together into one.

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew against me. I could feel each of my claws slip from the earth until nothing held me down. The wind lifted me into the air, I yowled in terror as it flung me towards the ground, a huge crack suddenly opened below me.

I fell into the gash, it's rock walls enveloping me in darkness once more...


	10. Chapter 9

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 9: the Search  
(AKA: a pissed Winry is TERRIFYING!)

POV: 3rd/all

A loud crash sounded in an empty office, it's huge door slammed open. A young brown-haired secretary yelped in surprise and hid behind a desk. She peeked over to see if there was any danger.

"SHESCA!" shouted an angry female voice.

Hearing her name, the secretary ducked back under the desk. But it was too late, the unknown assailant spotted her.

Shesca crawled closer to the desk, "please don't be Oliver, PLEASE don't be Oliver..." she whispered to herself.

The woman stomped up to the desk and grabbed the secretary's jacket. She yelped as she was yanked into a standing position. Shesca was too scared to see who it was. she was sure that it was Oliver, Armstrong's powerful (and SCARY!) sister. Whoever it was, they didn't speak until Shesca stopped her shivering and looked at her.

Finally, the secretary turned and faced her fears... But she was shocked to find that Oliver was not there... Instead, Winry stood in front of her, seething with anger. Armstrong was behind her, too afraid to stop her even though Mustang commanded him to.

"W-Winry?" the secretary stuttered, surprised to see her friend.

The blonde teen was furious. Shesca has never seen Winry like this, it was even worse than Oliver!

"SHESCA!" Winry repeated (rather loudly).

"y-yes?" the nervous officer stuttered.

"TELL ME WHERE HE IS! WHERE ARE THEY KEEPING THAT CRIMINAL?!" Winry shouted.

Shesca looked at Armstrong for help, he was waving his arms and shaking his head "No."

Unsure what to do, Shesca just stared at her angry friend.

"TELL ME!" Winry demanded again, shaking Shesca.

Terrified, she answered. "military prison 2, cell 126!" she said quickly.

And with that, Winry stormed out of the office in a flash. Poor Shesca just stood there, confused.

Armstrong shook his head, "why did you tell her?!" he asked.

"I... Well... What did you expect me to do?! I have never seen Winry like that! She was almost as scary as your sister!" Shesca said.

"Why was it so bad anyway? I told her the cell number of the most recent criminal put in there. Why did she want to know?" Shesca asked, still bewildered.

"she's gonna kill him if we don't get there before she does!" Armstrong said grimly.

"why would she do that?!" Shesca asked.

"because of what he did to E-..." Alex began to say, but he stopped short.

Armstrong gave Shesca a grim look, she was pretty good friends with Ed. Alex didn't need another crying girl slowing him down.

"I... I'll tell you later." he said hurriedly and ran out the door, leaving Shesca confused and frightened.

(in the prison...)

Winry stormed through the prison door, startling the guards in the room. She paid them no mind as she stomped up to the desk in the front.

"I'd like to see the prisoner in cell number 126!" Winry demanded.

The man at the desk looked at her, "I need to see a military ID before I can even let you in..." he said calmly.

Winry was about to yell at the man again when another person slammed through the door. All of the guards stood up strait and saluted as führer Roy Mustang stomped in, his closest officers following. (Hawkeye, Havoc, Fury, and the others)

Mustang walked up to the desk where Winry stood. She glared at him, daring him to stop her.

Roy lifted his hand. Winry flinched, thinking he was going to make her leave by threatening to use alchemy.

But Roy smiled, in his hand was his ID. He gave it to the man behind the desk (but with him being the führer and all, it wasn't really needed). Winry sighed in relief and happiness, returning Roy's smile.

"She's with me. We would like to have our interrogation with prisoner 126 a little early." he asked kindly.

The officer behind the desk quickly opened the door and lead them inside.

Winry and Roy walked behind the guard as he lead them through a long hallway. Hawkeye and the others stayed in the entrance room while they went inside. Winry stared down at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with any of the criminals in the cells as she walked by.

"Winry." Roy said quietly. "You cannot attack this man, he told us that if he was attacked by any military personnel he would refuse to tell us how to break Edward's coma." he said to her. Winry suddenly stopped walking.

"What's wrong?" Mustang asked, walking back to her.

"You didn't tell me that he knew how to save Ed..." she said quietly.

Roy frowned, "We aren't completely sure he really can... He said he could but that could be a lie to make sure we don't kill him." Roy sighed.

"Thats ok, at least there's some hope for Ed..." Winry said, her voice sounded a little calmer. She continued to walk along the hallway, even more desperate to talk to this criminal.

"Here we are." the guard announced after a few minutes of walking.

They stopped and looked into a dark cell. Winry couldn't see anyone, but she felt an odd presence. it wasn't an evil or good feeling, but it scared her.


	11. Chapter 10

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 10: His Reason

POV: 3rd/all

"How's little Edward doing?" an eerie voice sneered from the darkness.

Mustang snapped and created a small flame that lit up the cell. A man sat inside, His hands were bound tightly so he couldn't use alchemy.

"You know damn well you sick bastard." Roy snarled in reply.

The prisoner looked up at Mustang. "I'm being serious. How is he? The kid wasn't in the greatest shape when I used my alchemy on him.." the man said, He sounded sincerely concerned.

Roy stepped closer to the cell, the flame he was creating grew threateningly. "He survived." Mustang answered angrily.

The man sighed and leaned back against the concrete wall. "Good. It wouldn't work if he died..." he said softly.

Mustang was about to say something when Winry beat him to it. "What wouldn't work?!" she shouted, leaning towards the cell.

The man didn't notice Winry until now. "Who's this? Is she Edward's friend?" he asked.

Winry clenched her fists, "When you decide to kill someone, you could at least find out if he had any loved ones before you take him away from them!" she shouted. The criminal was shocked at Winry's aggressiveness.

The man bowed his head, "I wasn't trying to take him from anyone, I was merely returning a favor." he responded.

This only made Winry angrier, "a FAVOR?! For who?!" she shouted.

The man smiled, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you." he said plainly.

Winry grabbed the cell bars, "Tell me!" she yelled. She was desperate for answers.

"Alright... But don't say I didn't warn you." the criminal said.

"My real name is Sol, and I am what others like me call a loner. Years ago I tried to take over the four powerful clans that lived nearby, but failed. The... Council... Yes, that's what you would call it... The council of all the clans decided to spare me."

"in return I was to find someone named Edward Elric and bring him to the council. They said that he is the key to saving the clans or something... I wasn't really paying attention..." Sol finished with a shrug.

"you were right..." Mustang said. Sol sat up strait, surprised to hear Roy say that.

"you were right that we wouldn't believe you." Mustang repeated.

"I'd like to know something..." Winry spoke up, "If you were to send Ed to this 'council,' then why did you put him in a coma instead of take him there?!" she yelled.

The man leaned back, "Because I didn't need to send all of Edward there. Besides, the people I'm sending him to won't take kindly to a human showing up." he said plainly.

"W-What do you mean you don't need all of Ed..." Winry asked quietly.

Sol sighed and sat back up, "Because I only needed to send his soul. The council already had a new body for him temporarily." Sol explained.

"CUT THE CRAP!" Roy suddenly shouted, stepping closer to the cell.

"this conversation is going nowhere, tell us how to save Ed now!" mustang demanded.

The criminal seemed to be unafraid of Mustang's threats. "Fine... The council is going to take me back soon anyway." he said calmly.

"Do you really believe that?" Mustang asked, "How can you expect to get out of here? Your in a military PRISON! it's impossible."

"Do you want me to tell you how to save that little pipsqueak or not?" the prisoner asked, getting annoyed.

"of course we do!" Winry responded.

"The only one who can break the coma is Edward himself. Once his soul is returned after his duties with the clans are fulfilled, he will awaken." the man explained.

"YOU EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT?!" Mustang shouted at the criminal.

Sol just shook his head, "I didn't think you would believe it, but it's the truth. It's your choice to believe my words." he replied.

"Shut up! Now tell us how to really save Ed!" Mustang commanded.

The man was about to speak when he heard an eerily familiar noise. Mustang gasped as a giant eye opened underneath the criminal.

"Looks like it's time for me to return!" the man laughed.

Mustang and Winry stared as the prisoner suddenly vanished.

"That... Was a gate... But... It was different. It was smaller and didn't need an alchemic reaction for it to open!" Mustang gasped.

Winry just stared at the spot where the man had been standing only seconds earlier.

"I have a feeling that he was telling us the truth... We need to go back to the hospital, something terrible has happened to Ed..." she whispered.

Author's note:  
(Starclan has a connection with the gate, but only a small one. Starclan itself is kind of like a gate, but peaceful and much less chaotic. They cannot use the real gate without Truth, but sometimes he allows them access only in dire circumstances, even though he's a faceless jerk face. I Hope that prevents some confusion ;P)

Heh... See what I did there? "Faceless jerk face..." xD I'm such a dork.

Ps: if you haven't already noticed, I REALLY don't like Sol. He's a fart knocker, yeah that's right, A FART KNOCKER! Aka: a jerk face but with a face, slightly better than no face.  
:(

(see what i did there? XD jerk face with a face...)


	12. Chapter 11

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 11: Awoken  
(Kitty time! Not dreaming! Yay!)

POV: Edward

"how is he?" a muffled voice said.

"I don't know, he's in bad shape and has been asleep for two days." another replied.

"poor little kit.. he looks like he hasn't eaten in days, no wonder he's so small..." a deep voice boomed.

I woke up instantly when the word 'small' was mentioned, "WHO YOU CALLING A TINY PIPSQUEAK, YOU JERK?!" I yowled, jumping up from where I laid.

I came face-to-face with a huge brownish-gold cat. He looked surprised at my outburst and backed away in shock.

My eyes widened, why are there a bunch if cats around me?! I looked down, I still had paws!

"So it wasn't just a dream?" I whispered.

I suddenly collapsed into a mound of moss as a wave of pain washed over me. Cuts and bruises covered my cat-body, I still had the wounds from the car crash!

A skinny dark grey tom with icy blue eyes rushed up and sniffed me. "Stay still, will ya?!" he growled in annoyance. I did as instructed and relaxed.

The grey cat left and came back with something in his jaws. He dropped the leaf he carried and started to press some kind of ointment into my wounds. I sighed as the pain faded.

The golden long-haired cat walked back up. "What happened to you, little one?" he asked with concern.

"Don't call me little..." I growled.

"Ok then." He purred in amusement. "What's your name?" he asked instead.

"I'm Edward Elric... And who are you?" I replied.

The tom smiled, "oh yes, how rude of me. I am Lionblaze. And this is my brother Jayfeather." he said, motioning to the grey cat.

"Nice to meet you." I said politely.

"Now, would you mind telling us what happened to you?" Jayfeather mumbled as he bandaged my cuts with leaves.

"Oh... That... Uh... I don't remember actually..." I said. It wasn't a complete lie, I had no idea how I even turned into a cat and why I still have wounds from the crash.

Lionblaze sighed, clearly not satisfied by my answer. "Alright, we will leave it at that. But you are in no shape to leave, stay with Thunderclan until your wounds heal." the golden cat said.

"Wait, did you say Thunderclan? So that blue cat was telling the truth..." I said.

Lionblaze and jayfeather suddenly froze, they looked at me as if I had just sprouted wings or something...

"W-What's wrong?" I asked.

Jayfeather stepped towards me, "did this cat happen to be named Bluestar?" he said.

"yes... But what's so bad? She seemed nice." I said nervously.

The two brothers looked at each other, "I think it's time you met Firestar..." they said quietly.

POV: 3rd/all

Firestar was asleep in his cave den, exhausted from the late night patrol. His mate, Sandstorm, was out hunting, leaving the entire cave to Firestar. His snores echoed in the empty space.

"Firestar?" a voice called.

A snort sounded and then rustling. The clan leader walked up to his den entrance to greet whoever was calling him.

"Ah! Lionblaze, Jayfeather! It's good to see you." the flame-colored tom said happily.

"now what can I do for you?" Firestar asked once they were inside.

Lionblaze glanced at Jayfeather, he nodded. "well... I think that newcomer could be the one Starclan told us about." he whispered.

Firestar narrowed his eyes, "How do you know? This prophesy is different from the others. 'Only the one with paws of stone can mend the earth before it swallows the clans.'" Firestar said, repeating what Starclan told him.

"When the outsider woke up, he told us he couldn't remember how he got his severe wounds. he remembered his name though, it's Edward Elric. an odd name even for a kittypet. But he mentioned talking to someone named Bluestar, he even described her and was confirmed by Jayfeather." Lionblaze said. Firestar nodded in understanding.

"What's he like? I haven't gotten to see him since everything has been so busy. I don't even know what he looks like!" the leader laughed.

"Well, he's energetic, that's for sure. He seemed to be a nice cat. but when I mentioned him being small or little, which he IS, he got all mad at me." Lionblaze answered.

"Sounds like he's got quite the personality." Firestar purred in amusement.

He turned his head to look at the two brothers, "I would like to speak with him. Jayfeather, is he well enough?" the orange tom asked.

Jayfeather nodded in reply. Firestar smiled, "Well then I will bring him some food later today and talk..." he decided.

"Yes Firestar." the two cats said in unison. They turned and padded out of the cave side by side.

(Awwww... Kitty chapter was short)


	13. Chapter 12

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 12: The diagnosis

(Amestris chapter)

POV: 3rd

Mustang and Winry entered the hospital hurriedly. They rushed up the stairs and down the hall to Edward's room. A commotion could be heard going on inside. Roy slowly opened the door and looked in.

Doctors were rushing around inside the room. Armstrong, Fury, Riza, and Havoc were already there, sitting on the other side of the room. Armstrong spotted Mustang and Winry. He quickly got up and pulled them inside.

"What's going on?!" Roy demanded.

Alex looked over towards Ed, the paramedics were rushing around him. "Edward wasn't stable for long, his heart rate and breathing increased rapidly. he seemed to be afraid of something, as if he was dreaming." Armstrong explained.

(author's note: this is happening when Starclan wakes Ed in their terrifying riddley ways. Aka: he's falling into a huge crack in the earth at this time. :3)

"D-Dreaming?" Winry said, staring at Ed as the doctors struggled to stabilize him again. She and Roy looked at each other worriedly.

"What happened at the prison?" Armstrong asked, trying to create a conversation.

"Well... Sol told us how to break Edward's coma..." Roy answered.

"Sol?" Alex said, confused. "The killer's real name was Sol." Mustang explained.

"So how do we save Ed?!" Riza said urgently, joining the conversation.

Mustang shook his head. "I didn't want to believe that maniac, but I know he was telling the truth..." he began to say.

"what did he say?!" the others demanded.

"He said that only Edward can break the coma..." Mustang explained.

"and how can he do that?" Riza snapped, annoyed at Roy for the lack of details.

"Sol said that Ed isn't actually here. His soul has been sent somewhere, only his body is in the coma. I guess they are still connected, seeing as how edward is acting as if he is in a dream."

"Sol said that only after he is finished with some task he was meant to do wherever he is now, can is soul return and break the coma." Roy explained.

"And he expected you to believe that?!" Riza said angrily.

Mustang shook his head, "Sol talked about some sort of council that told him to come here and find Ed. He even said that they would soon take him back too. I didn't believe him until... a... Gate suddenly appeared and he vanished." Roy explained.

The others stared at Mustang after he said this. "You mean he escaped?!" Armstrong shouted. "Yes.." Roy said plainly. 'He didn't just merely escape, he was transported through a GATE!' mustang thought. Winry just stayed silent while the rest of them talked, staring off into space.

(Time passing...)

"His heart rate and breathing slowed. He should be fine for now..." A doctor suddenly said.

Everyone looked at Ed as the nurses and paramedics left. He looked alright now, besides being in a coma and all.

Ed's breathing seemed to be better than it had when they first saw him, he was just barely breathing then. now that his body had time to rest and heal a little, he was doing much better.

"So... If the only person who can break Edward's coma is himself... Then we can only wait." Armstrong said gravely.

"Ed..." a horse voice whispered. Mustang and the others whipped around to see Alphonse waking up. He was now conscious but still seriously wounded. "Where am I? What happened? Where's Ed?" he said worriedly.

Mustang and Winry rushed over to Al, relieved that he was alright. "It's ok, your safe." Winry said. Alphonse sat up, wincing in pain. "Stay down, your still hurt." Winry warned.

Al looked around in confusion, "Why am I in the hospital?" he asked worriedly.

"You took quite the hit. You flew through the windshield when the car crashed." Mustang answered.

"I think I remember a crash... But I can't remember anything after that." Al said.

"Wheres Ed? Wheres my brother?" Alphonse asked again. Mustang and Winry glanced at each other, a grim look in their eyes.

"Did something happen to him?!" Al said worriedly.

"Al... Ed saved your life. That psycho would have done the same to you if he hadn't stopped him..." Winry explained gently.

"Would have done what? What did he do to Ed?!" Alphonse demanded.

Mustang and Winry stepped away from the hospital bed so they were no longer blocking Ed from Al's sight.

As soon as Alphonse got one look at his Edward, he began to panic. "ED?! What happened?! Brother!" he shouted. He was struggling to leave the bed and run over to him.

Winry tried to calm Al down so he wouldn't hurt himself further. Once she succeeded, Winry tried to explain as well as she could from what she was told.

"Ed attacked that man before he could hurt you. Instead of attacking you, he attacked Ed. He used some kind of alchemy that nearly killed him." Winry explained.

"So Ed's alright? But he looks like he's dead..." Al argued.

Mustang butted into the conversation, "Your brother is in a coma. Do you know what a coma is? Its when your brain shuts down in a near-death situation to try and heal itself. It can last for months and even years until they can be broken. But in Ed's case, he was forced into one." Roy explained further.

"A... A coma? How do you wake up from one?" Al asked nervously.

Mustang shook his head sadly. "Usually a person in a coma can come out of one after he or she is triggered by a person they once knew, or by trying to get them to respond to anything, or simply by waiting for them to wake."

"But that man told us that only Ed could break it. He told us that his soul has been sent somewhere else and once he is finished with whatever it is he was sent for, his soul will return and break the coma." Roy finished.

Alphonse just stared up at the ceiling. He tried to process what he was just told. "So... We can only wait..." Al said quietly. "I hope brother is alright wherever he is..."

Important!  
Author's note:  
(This will be the last human/Amestris chapter for a loooong time. )


	14. Chapter 13

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 13: The Leader  
(Kitty chapter!)

POV: Edward

I laid in the bed of moss in the medicine den, bored as can be. 'Ugh... I wish my friends were here, even Mustang... At least he would give me something to do!' I thought as I rolled over in my "nest," as the cats call it. My stomach rumbled. I hope these cats feed their patients... Or prisoners if that's what they consider me.

A rustle sounded, I craned my neck to see what it was. A flame-colored tom walked through the brambles that shielded the entrance. "Ah! So this is the newcomer? Welcome to Thunderclan! I'm Firestar, the clan leader." the orange cat said.

I rolled over onto my side to face him. "Hi... I'm Edward... Uh, nice to meet you." I said nervously. This guy seemed nice, but if he's the leader, then he had power. And power isn't always a good thing.

"Edward huh? Odd name, even for a kittypet." Firestar meowed.

"Kittypet? What's a kittypet?" I asked.

He smiled, "a kittypet is a cat that twolegs keep in their dens as pets." he explained.

"Twolegs? You mean humans? I'm not a house pet!" I said, still confused.

"Huh... Haven't heard that name for them in a while. Only Midnight and a couple of older kittypets called them humans." Firestar thought out loud.

My stomach suddenly rumbled, I ducked my head in embarrassment. "Sounds like your hungry! I'll bring you some food." the ginger tom purred.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. Thanks for the offer but I can get it myself." I argued.

I struggled to my paws, wincing in pain. I took a step but toppled to the ground immediately. Firestar rushed over to me and gently used his head to lift/nudge me back onto my moss bed without hesitation. I stared at him in surprise. He's a leader, but he's acting as if I was his friend. But I'm an outsider!

Firestar must have noticed my surprised expression. He smiled, "I know what you must be thinking. I don't even know you that well, but I can sense that your not an evil cat. And I must show trust and kindness towards others, especially those in need." he said softly. I nodded in understanding. "Now then. I'll go and fetch you some food!" he said as he walked out of the medicine den.

Firestar returned after a few moments carrying a couple of furry objects. He dropped one of them in front of me. I suddenly recoiled in disgust, it was a dead rodent! I immediately hung my head in embarrassment and shame. These cats have taken me in willingly, sharing their medicine and now their food. I mustn't be picky or disrespectful.

Firestar saw my actions but didn't seem mad. "Heh... I'm not used to food like this. I'm sorry for being disrespectful." I apologized.

Firestar nodded and smiled. "it's alright. Most kittypets are surprised when they see us eating mice and birds. But once they try it, they find that it is much more satisfying than the dry pellets their twolegs feed them." he said.

I watched as Firestar started to eat his mouse. I looked down at mine, it seemed gross. But after all, cats DO hunt and eat things like this. 'I hope this cat body has a cat's taste too.' I thought as I reluctantly took a bite. I was surprised to find that it WAS satisfying, good even. I finished the dead rodent in a few bites.

"So... Whats your story. What happened to you that caused all of those wounds?" Firestar asked after we finished eating.

I glanced down at my paws. Should I trust him? He put trust in me even though he didn't know me... I have to trust him.

"I... I got in a terrible accident, me and my brother. I don't know what happened to him or what happened after I blacked out. Then I suddenly woke up here." I said, leaving out most of my story.

"what about your legs there? Whats that shiny stuff covering them?" Firestar asked, staring at my metal limbs. My tail dropped to the ground as I recalled old memories of the worst mistake I ever made. I lifted up my right foreleg and looked at my paw. it was odd, just like the automail arm Winry made, but for a cat. It had kitty toes and retractable claws and everything!

"They're automail, fake limbs... I did something stupid and paid the price, I lost a front and back leg. But a friend of mine made these for me, she's amazing." I said, lost in thought.

Firestar nudged me back to reality. "What? Oh... Sorry Firestar, I can get lost when remembering my past." I laughed sadly.

He smiled, "It's alright little one. We have all made mistakes. But it takes a great cat to learn from them." Firestar said knowingly.

We both sat beside each other in silence for a few moments when Firestar nudged me again. "Hey... You seem like a courageous and loyal cat. Would you like to join Thunderclan? At least, until your healed or find out what to do next." Firestar asked.

I faced the fire-colored cat with a surprised expression on my face. I pondered his question, I have nowhere else to go. I have no clue how to return to Amestris. Or even how to live like a cat! I looked back at Firestar and smiled, "I would be honored to join your clan."

POV: 3rd

Firestar walked out of the medicine den, he was cheerful. Jayfeather and Lionblaze walked up to him as he left. "How did it go?" they asked.

Firestar smiled, "He seems like a great cat, but he also seems to have a troubled past. He even agreed to join Thunderclan." Firestar said.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather looked surprised. "Already? Did you ask him about Starclan?" they asked.

Firestar shook his head, "No. I didn't want to throw so many questions at him." he said.

Lionblaze sighed and lead Jayfeather away. Firestar padded up the pile of boulders and into his den to finish his nap.

POV: Edward

Jayfeather sat next to me in the medicine den. He commanded me to stretch my aching muscles. against my will, if I might add. I grunted in pain as I pushed against my back legs and arched my back.

"Good. Now do the front." the medicine cat commanded. I groaned in exhaustion and did as I was told, stretching my forelegs in front of me. I glanced at Jayfeather. he was staring strait ahead, not focused on anything. Huh... Is he lost in thought or something?

I finished my stretches and laid down in my moss bed. Jayfeather suddenly stiffened and walked up to me, sniffing my golden fur. "one of your wounds started to bleed again. I'll get some poultice." he growled. I noticed that he smelled the blood and didn't SEE it. Even now he was using scent to find the right herbs.

Jayfeather returned to my side with a leaf-wrap. He chewed the herbs into a pulp and rubbed it into the wound. I watched him curiously. he didn't look strait at whatever he was doing, but his brilliant blue eyes still were sharp with emotion.

"Um... Jayfeather?" I asked.

"Yes?" he mumbled, not even glancing at me.

"what's wrong with you? Are you vision impaired or something?" I asked outright.

Jayfeather tensed but continued to work. "If you mean blind then yes. I was born blind..." he answered.

"Jayfeather..." I started to say.

but he quickly cut me off, "I don't need any of your pity!" The medicine cat hissed, "I can take care of myself!" he snarled.

Jayfeather waited for an apology or more pity from me, but I just started to laugh. The medicine cat pricked his ears and glanced at my direction in surprise at my actions.

"I wasn't going to pity you, Jayfeather!" I laughed, "It's funny, you reminded me of a friend of mine already, but being blind really nailed it." I said.

"I remind you of someone? Someone blind?" Jayfeather asked in surprise.

I nodded, but realized my mistake and answered verbally. "Yes. he was always strict, always seems to know something you don't but never tells you, and he even has a sharp way with words like you do. Especially towards short people. I miss him... Him and his jerky remarks." I sighed.

"you say this cat is blind?" Jayfeather asked.

"huh? Well yes and no. He lost his eyesight in an accident much like mine. But someone restored his vision. I know what you may be thinking, if he could get his vision back, then you can too. But having one's sight lost is different than having been born with blindness. The lucky bastard." I ranted, getting lost in my memories again.

"No, I know my place and I have no intention to change." the medicine cat said plainly.

"You got in an accident? Is that why your legs feel and smell this way?" Jayfeather asked, changing the subject from his blindness back to me. He patted my automail leg with a paw.

"Yeah... It's the price I paid for my own stupidity." I sighed, forcing myself from getting lost in thought.

"How do they work? If they're not your real legs, then they must be some kind of Twoleg thing." Jayfeather said.

I don't know how I should answer that without saying something I'd regret. "A friend of mine made them out of metal. She knows how arms and legs work and how to engineer stuff like this."

"It has really helped me along the way. although it has it's weaknesses, it is much stronger than a real limb and can't be broken nearly as easily. But I always found a way to bust it up. And then Winry would freak out and attack me for breaking her hard work..." I ranted. Getting lost in memories once AGAIN!

Jayfeather pawed at my automail leg and sniffed at it. "it smells like the stuff twolegs use, but it doesn't carry the stench of smoke like the monsters do. But your saying a cat made this, how?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, he seems very persistent. "Winry, my friend, knows how to bend and shape metals to her will. You see, although my legs are gone, my brain is still sending signals to move them. The metal can take those signals and translate them into motorized movements." I explained, moving my leg to demonstrate.

"Jayfeather, why do you want to know this? You don't need automail, and Winry can't use it to fix eyesight." I asked, getting suspicious.

Jayfeather angled his ears towards the entrance where a cat played with a couple of kittens. "I have a patient named Briarlight who was paralyzed by a falling tree. She can no longer move her hindlegs. but her forelegs are getting stronger, she can now move around the camp. But I couldn't do anything to help her... She will never be a warrior" Jayfeather said sadly.

I walked painfully up to Jayfeather and placed my paw on his shoulder. "I don't know if automail will work for her. After all, metal cannot heal a backbone." I sighed.

Jayfeather shook his head, "It's alright. She knows her place and is always so cheerful. She has been supported and cheered on by the kits she plays with and keeps an eye on. I think she will survive." the medicine cat said.

"Now then, let's get back to stretching!" Jayfeather suddenly announced.

"Oh no... Not again..." I groaned


	15. Chapter 14

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 14: The Ceremony

POV: Edward  
(two weeks later)

"From now on this young cat will be called Metalpaw! May Starclan guide you until you receive your warrior name." Firestar announced. The sun warmed my golden fur. The leader stood in front of me, giving a speech. I was full of excitement as I sat before my new leader.

Author's note:  
(grr... "Metalpaw" SOOO original! I couldn't think of another name besides Silverpaw and that sounds like a girl! Dx and in every warriors fma crossover, Ed is called Metalpaw! I'll think of something later... Maybe.)

"Icecloud, it is time you had another apprentice. Teach this young cat all of your wisdom so that he may become a great warrior." Firestar boomed. A fluffy pure white she-cat with dark blue eyes stepped foreword. She was beaming with pride and happiness although she kept it hidden well. We touched noses and sat down with the other apprentices. "METALPAW, METALPAW!" the cats called.

"Congrats! Good job! Hope you like Thunderclan!" a few cats came up to me to congratulate me. I didn't know them but they seemed nice. Others weren't so enthusiastic, some gave me weird expressions when they looked at me or my automail. But I paid them no mind.

I was still healing and have to sleep in the medicine den for a couple more days before I could move into the apprentice den. I was kinda relieved that I didn't have to leave the medicine den just yet. I didn't know any of the cats in the apprentice's den except one, Dovepaw, she visited me sometimes and brought me food.

I became good friends with Jayfeather too. Sure he's cranky and is usually in a bad mood 24 /7 and makes me do painful stretches all day, but he has a good point of view and we can relate to one another. I'm going to miss him and his interesting conversations.

POV: Edward

"Well, there ya go!" Jayfeather announced. He was waiting outside the apprentice's den while I walked slowly over. My legs still hurt but I can now sleep with the other apprentices. Although I am a lot older than most of them, I am still pretty small, and that pissed me off. even when I'm a cat, I'm still a shorty.

"Remember! if any of your wounds open back up, come strait to the medicine den. You hear?" Jayfeather instructed. I nodded and limped inside the big bush that made up the apprentice's den

I looked around, it was pretty amazing. This bush is obviously taken care of by these cats. It was healthy and it's branches were interwoven to make a rain-proof ceiling. I shouldn't be surprised. after all, I saw that they had learned to use plants for medicine. And I even heard Jayfeather mention a garden of herbs he was taking care of. These cats are much more intelligent than I ever expected.

"Hello." a soft voice called. I turned around to see a fluffy light grey she-cat.

"Hi Dovepaw! How are you?" I said happily.

"Oh, I'm fine. But how are you liking everything so far? Your still hurt but you can sleep here now?" she asked.

I nodded, "Yeah. Jayfeather says to make sure not to open any wounds. is he always that cranky?" I joked. She purred in amusement.

~~~~~~~~~~squiggles/time passing~~~~~~~~~

It was nearly dark out by the time the clan was supposed to sleep. But I was to keep vigil until dawn. Dovepaw stayed with me until she was nearly falling over with exhaustion. After all, She had full time duties while I slept in the medicine den. I made her go back to the camp and sleep. At least this vigil will give me time to think.

I stared up at the stars, they twinkled brightly in the deep blue sky. "I wonder how Al is doing right now... Did he even survive that crash? And what about Hawkeye, I didn't see her and she was in the car too. I hope they are all safe..." I said to myself quietly.

"No point in wondering. I need to do whatever it was Bluestar wanted me to. She said I could go back after that..." I rambled on. STILL talking to myself, which I seem to do a lot...

I sat all night long, thinking about Amestris. "Could alchemy even work here? Can I still do it without a transmutation circle?" I wondered. I looked down at my kitty legs. it might be hard to clap my paws together, I am a four-legged animal after all.

Curiosity got the best of me. I tried to rock back onto my hindquarters and balance with my tail, It didn't go so well. Eventually I managed to balance on my back legs. I probably looked ridiculous!

I was about to press my paws together when the sun peeked over the horizon. The bright light blinded me for a few seconds. I can't try alchemy now, what would the cats think? I don't want to get kicked out so soon! At least my vigil is over! I'm exhausted.

Icecloud, my new mentor, walked up to me and placed her tail on my shoulder. "Get some rest, you must be tired." she said. "Well isn't THAT the understatement of the century!" I mumbled as I stumbled into the camp.


	16. Chapter 15

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 15: training  
POV: Edward

I slept for a while before Icecloud woke me up. "Get up, time for your first training lesson!" she said cheerfully. I yawned and stretched. "how long have I been sleeping?" I asked tiredly. Icecloud looked up at the sun and then back at me. "Well since you went to sleep a little after dawn and the sun is less than half way to sunhigh... I'd say about an hour."

I got up and walked out of the apprentices' den with my mentor. Talk about a cat nap.

We walked up the stone hollow's trail and out of the camp. A grey long-haired cat walked by with a rabbit in his mouth. "Hello Greystripe." My mentor greeted. the other cat nodded in return.

My eyes widened in amazement, I haven't had a good look at the forest at all since I woke up half a month ago. Or as the cats call it, a "moon" ago. I guess I'll have to get used to their way with words.

The forest was huge! The trees' huge branches stretched high above me, their dark green leaves rustling in the warm breeze.

Icecloud saw my amazement and gave a little meow of laughter. "It's great isn't it? Not like a kittypet's life, this is free and wild." she said, taking a deep breath.

I copied her and sniffed. so many scents! Human's sense of smell isn't powerful at all, so this is new for me!

I could smell the other cats in the hollow, the plants and the soil, and even mice and squirrels! "I wasn't a kittypet. But this is awesome!" I exclaimed.

"You weren't a kittypet? Then what where you?" Icecloud asked.

I immediately regretted mentioning my past. "Uh... Well I guess it's kinda like a clan. But for fighting purposes and protecting others. they called it a military. I was pretty good friends with the leader and all, but he can be a jerk at times." I stammered.

Icecloud looked at me with sympathy. "You miss your friends, don't you?" she asked. I nodded slowly. My mentor gave me a shove, I stumbled forward in shock. I turned around to see Icecloud smiling in amusement.

I smiled back. "Well, there's no use in missing something thats gone. It's best to keep moving forward to what's ahead." I said cheerfully.

Icecloud looked surprised to hear such wisdom from a cat as young as me. She purred in pride at her new apprentice.

"But I still must find a way to get home!" I thought silently.

Me and my mentor arrived at a small patch of tall grass. "Do you smell anything?" she whispered.

I sniffed the air, "yeah. I can smell rabbit. I can tell because there was a rabbit in the pile of prey, so I know what they smell like." I said quietly. Icecloud nodded. She flicked her tail towards the grass, I took it as a command to hunt.

As I stalked into the grass, I dug through my memories for all the facts about cats Al wouldn't quit telling me over and over. I remember him saying something about how quiet cats are because of their paws... And that they wiggle their haunches before they pounce. He loved telling me how adorable cats looked when they do that.

Oh I wish I paid better attention to him when he told me this stuff!

I tried to keep Al's words in mind as I quietly walked through the grass. I remember Al said something about a rabbits' hearing (kinda obvious) and how they could feel vibrations in the earth.

I could see the rabbit now, it was nibbling on some newly-sprouted grass. It hasn't noticed me... Good. I tried to step lightly and close to the ground. My golden fur blended somewhat well with the drying grass so it can't see me very easily, and the sun couldn't shine on my automail. I kept my eyes locked on the rabbit as I crawled closer.

Suddenly, the rabbit raised it's head in alarm, nose twitching. A change in the wind brought my scent right to it! The rabbit suddenly streaked out of the grass and ran into the forest.

"Dammit!" I hissed in frustration. I bolted after the grey rabbit seconds after it took off. I sprinted as fast as I could. but I guess I wasn't used to running on all-fours because the rabbit soon streaked ahead and dived into a hole before I could catch up.

I sat there cursing while my mentor caught up to me. "Dammit, I was so close! Why the crap did the wind have to change?!" I raged, clawing at the dirt.

Icecloud sat down next to me and laid her tail over my shoulders. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You were doing great until the wind changed direction. If you had stalked it a little faster then you would have caught it. And besides, you ran much faster than I expected! Especially with those... What did you call them? Well, those legs. They look like they would weigh you down but you ran almost as fast as the rabbit." she commented.

I felt a little better after Icecloud said that, but I still felt worthless. My mentor got up and tapped me with her tail, "Come on, let's teach you some real hunting techniques. I was just testing you to see what you knew, anyway." she said. I slowly stood up and followed.

After Icecloud had taught me about prey and hunting, we finally headed back to the camp when the sun started to set. I excitedly walked ahead of my mentor as we walked towards the stone hollow.

But as soon as I realized that I hadn't caught ANYTHING, my tail and ears drooped. I walked slowly down the trail into camp and sat down next to the apprentices' den without taking any prey to eat, even though hunger clawed at my belly

"Hey Metalpaw!" said a cheery voice.

Without turning around I mumbled, "Hi Dovepaw..." the fluffy she-cat sat down next to me, a large bird in her mouth.

She dropped her food and gave me a shove. "Did someone put a badger in your nest or something? Ed... What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. "Hey! Why didn't you get any food?" she added when she saw no prey in front of me.

Side note:  
(Although Edward's name is now Metalpaw, Dovepaw and some of his friends still call him Ed at times. Kinda like a nickname.)

I laid my head down on my paws. "I didn't catch anything at all today! I almost caught a rabbit but I messed that up too. I can't eat the clan's food when I didn't do any work in return. Equivalent exchange." I mumbled.

Dovepaw suddenly licked my ear. I was surprised by the act and looked up at her from where I laid. She smiled down at me and pushed the bird she had picked out for herself over to me with her paw. "Here, we can share mine." Dovepaw said sympathetically.

I sat up and shook my head, pushing Dovepaw's bird back to her. "No, I cant take your food." I argued.

Dovepaw pushed her prey towards me again, this time keeping her paw on top of it so I couldn't shove it back.

"I insist, it's too big for me anyway. Going hungry never helped anyone. Besides, I'm your friend! Consider it payment for being my friend too. Like you said, equivalent exchange." Dovepaw said softly, speaking with a little more force this time.

I looked at Dovepaw, an amused smile on my muzzle. "Heh... Equivalent exchange..." I purred.

I took a bite out of the bird and remembered how hungry I was! I tried not to eat fast, but I ended up quickly devouring more than half the bird. Dovepaw didn't say anything as she ate her share.


	17. Chapter 16

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 16: Exploring

(a long and sort-of useless chapter. Read it anyway. :3)

POV: Edward

Me, Icecloud, Lionblaze, Dovepaw, and Firestar were doing border patrol, my very first! When the clan leader volunteered to join, The warriors were surprised but honored to have their trusted leader come with them.

Lionblaze exchanged a glance with Firestar as we headed out. I walked in the back with them while Icecloud and Dovepaw took the lead.

I stared around at the forest. I haven't been here before. Well, this is my first border patrol after all. The trees were thinning out and were more widely spaced.

We walked through a patch of blueberry bushes and arrived at a spot where the trees ended altogether. I stared in awe at the big, grassy hills and green plains that stretched in front of us. The wind rippled through the tall grass, making it look like an ocean of green.

"Wow! That's awesome!" I exclaimed.

Firestar sat down next to me. "It sure is. This is where Thunderclan territory ends and Windclan territory starts." he explained.

I sniffed the air, a strong smell met me. It smelled like cats, but different. Firestar nodded towards the edge of the trees where Lionblaze was renewing the border markers.

"Ok... So there's Windclan, Riverclan, and Shadowclan... Right?" I asked. Firestar nodded and flicked his tail, signaling the others to leave.

We walked along the Windclan border and down to the lakeshore. I stared out at the sparkling water as we walked by. The patrol moved back into the trees but kept following the direction of the shore.

After walking for a while, I noticed that the forest was getting darker. but it wasn't even sunhigh! I looked up, the oak trees were thinning out into thicker pine trees.

I suddenly stopped, "What's that smell?!" I exclaimed, wrinking my nose.

Firestar turned around, "It's the Shadowclan border. They inhabit the pine forest." he explained. I gazed into the pine trees that stretched in front of me.

"I get it. Windclan territory is a windy plain, grassy and open. And Shadowclan has the thick pine trees where it's dark." I said. Firestar nodded and smiled. I turned around and gazed into the oak trees, I could barely see a tiny bit if the sparkling lake.

"And I'm guessing that Riverclan lives on that island I saw in the lake?" I asked.

Firestar shook his head, "No, but they wanted to when we first journeyed here. They then chose a territory that is strait across the lake from us, between Shadowclan and Windclan. A big river with a bunch of smaller islands that they made their camp." Firestar told me.

"But... How is Thunderclan's name connected to our oak forest? What about the 'thunder' part?" I asked.

Firestar tilted his head, "I guess it's because we rule the sky as well as the ground. You see, we hunt squirrels and birds that live in the trees. I guess our ancestors learned how to climb the trees to catch them. No other clan does that." he decided.

It doesn't matter why this territory is Thunderclan's. All that matters it that I'm part of it now...

(sorry, this chapter is short xP)


	18. Chapter 17

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 17: The Questioning

POV: Edward

"The border's all good, Firestar! Let's head back." Icecloud called.

The clan leader looked up to see her up ahead. I got up and started to walk towards my mentor, but Firestar suddenly swept his tail in front of me so I couldn't continue.

I gave Firestar a confused look. "Icecloud, Dovepaw!" he called, "You go on ahead, I want Lionblaze to stay with me. I'm gonna have a... chat with Metalpaw." he finished.

Lionblaze walked out of a bush directly behind me. My fur bristled. are they trying to surround me? Whats going on? Firestar wouldn't want to hurt me, right? But he is a leader... Like führer Bradley was... Bradley made me think he was a nice guy, but then he turned out to be a deadly homunculus. His calm, peaceful attitude was just another lie.

Firestar must have saw the suspicion and fear in my eyes. He smiled and pulled his tail away. "Don't worry, we aren't going to hurt you." he assured, motioning Lionblaze over with his tail. The big golden cat sat down by his leader's side. I let my fur lie flat. How could I even think like that?! After all these cats have done to help me...

"I'm sorry... I was just making sure... I have had things like that happen to me quite often..." I apologized. I felt ashamed to even consider my new leader as corrupt and evil like the homunculi...

Firestar got up and sat next to me, "It seems you have had a troubled past... Is it something I should know about?" Firestar asked.

I looked into his eyes, but saw no malice, no corruption... Only concern.

"No. It's... It's complicated, okay?" I sighed. Firestar smiled and nodded, he wasn't going to make me talk about something I didn't want to. Firestar walked back over to Lionblaze and sat beside the big warrior. His expression became more serious.

"That wasn't what you wanted to talk to me about, was it?" I asked nervously.

Firestar shook his head, "No... I wanted to ask you about the dream you had before you first woke up in Thunderclan." he said.

"Why? It was just a dream... Wasn't it?" I asked.

Firestar looked around to make sure no cats were nearby. "We can't talk here, we are too close to the Shadowclan border." he said urgently.

Firestar got up and started to walk away at a fast pace with me and Lionblaze behind him. "Lionblaze, is Jayfeather out gathering herbs?" he called over his shoulder.

"I think so... Why?" Lionblaze answered.

"Good, we might need him to hear this. We will go to the abandoned twoleg den." Firestar changed direction and started to walk deeper into the trees.

After running for a little while, I noticed an enticing smell that grew as we ran. "What's that smell?" I panted.

Lionblaze sniffed the air, "Catmint. We are nearing Jayfeather's herb garden." he called back to me.

Soon, I saw a grey shape through the trees. "Is that the abandoned den?" I called to Firestar. He flicked his tail towards it to answer. I took that as a yes.

As we neared the grey shape, I noticed that it was an old house. A small one too. We stopped to rest at the base of the cobblestone walls that made up the shack.

That smell is really strong now! I  
wonder what it is? I followed the scent and saw a patch of... CATNIP?!

I remembered the shape and color of catnip from a memory. Alphonse had tried to sneak a planter of catnip into the house when we were little. He lied and said that it was a new house plant. But he was really going to put it by the window to attract the stray cats in the area.

"OH! So not only do you cats grow your own plants, but you grow DRUGS too?! what do you do with this? Sell it to the other clans for prey?! Drug-dealing cats, what next?" I snorted.

Firestar walked up behind me to see what I was ranting about. He saw the catnip and cocked his head. "What? Our Catmint? its very precious." Firestar said.

"I bet it is..." I snorted.

The clan leader gave me a weird look. "It is! It's the only cure for whitecough and greencough, the deadliest sickness we know of." he said in a serious tone.

Now it was my turn to look confused. "Whitecough? Greencough? What's that?" I asked.

Firestar's expression grew grim while he recalled old memories. "Whitecough is the first stage, it's a sickness that fills your lungs with fluid and makes you cough terribly. It is essential to fight it off while it's still Whitecough."

"But if it does develop into greencough, it's deadly and extremely contagious. The only medicine for it is Catmint and poppy seeds. Poppy seeds are easy to find, but Catmint is precious and hard to grow, but Jayfeather has done an amazing job keeping these alive." Firestar explained.

"And Catmint is also one of the only herbs that doesn't taste foul." Firestar added.

I breathed a sigh of relief, thank goodness these cats don't use this like humans would... "Well, tell Jayfeather that I think it's amazing how he's doing this." I said.

"Why don't you tell me yourself?" a grumpy voice suddenly said.

Jayfeather pushed past a yew bush and padded up to his brother. "And step away from those, they break easily and I don't want any of the leaves to loose their potency." he commanded. I jumped back away from the catnip, careful not to touch them.

"We are all here." Firestar announced after a while. He looked at me with his fierce green eyes. I nodded, signaling that he could speak freely.

"Well, we need to talk about your dream. Jayfeather tells me that you had a dream about a blue cat named Bluestar. Were there others?" he asked.

I tilted my head to think. it has been three and a half weeks since I first woke up, a normal person would have long forgotten a dream by then. But this dream seemed to be stuck in my head, pushing it's way into my thoughts constantly.

"Yes, there were others. I think one was named Spottedleaf. And another was called... Lionheart. And the last one was named Yellowtooth or something." I answered. Firestar nodded, as did the other two.

"And what did Bluestar tell you?" Firestar continued.

"She said, "You must mend the earth before it swallows everything." I said, repeating what I was told.

Firestar glanced at Jayfeather, "Jayfeather, has Starclan told you anything like this?" Jayfeather nodded his head in reply.

"Hmmm... They told me that too." Firestar said. He stared off into the trees, thinking. Finally he sighed, "why does Starclan have to be so secretive? Why not just give us a strait answer for once..."

I looked around, the cats were staring at me hopefully. "Uh... I... I don't know what it means either. 'mend the earth' makes some sense. But the 'before it swallows all' part is a little weird." I stammered. Were they really expecting me to know what that crazy blue cat was talking about?

Firestar got up and sat down in front of me. "If you are who Starclan spoke of, then we must work together to make out what this means. Although it may seem hopeless, Starclan has never let us down before. No matter what happens, we will always find a way." Firestar said. He spoke with much wisdom and power, making me feel lucky to be with him.

"Let's go back to the camp." Firestar announced after a while, "We must begin to prepare for what may come." he turned tail and started to trot towards the stone hollow.

"Uh... Firestar?" I called. He looked over his shoulder at me.

"Yes?" Firestar responded.

"Can I hunt a little? I don't work well with large groups, maybe I can catch more when I'm on my own." I asked.

Firestar smiled and nodded, "Yes, but I want you back before sunset." he answered. He continued to walk away, Lionblaze and Jayfeather followed close behind.

Jayfeather waved his tail, "Bye Metalpaw. Come and see me after you return so I can check your wounds." the medicine cat called.

I watched the three cats walk away into the bushes. I'm lucky to be part of this noble clan. I never expected cats to form anything this sophisticated and... Well... Human. It was truly amazing.


	19. Chapter 18

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 18: Curiosity

POV: Edward

I watched as Jayfeather's tail swished out of view. Finally, now I can be alone! I got up and started to pad deeper into the trees. I walked away from the lake and away from the borders, towards the backside of Thunderclan territory.

After walking for ten minutes, I spotted a tiny clearing tucked away between three low-hanging weeping willows. The long tendrils of the trees hid the little space from view, I only saw it because I caught a tiny bit of it from a hill. if any cats would even go this far into the territory, they still wouldn't find it.

I tried squeezing into a tiny opening in two branches, but failed terribly. I growled and sat down, scanning the group of willows carefully.

I spotted a small space between a tree root, a dent in the dirt that tunneled under the root and into the clearing. I smiled and padded up to the opening and sniffed it.

I stuck my head into the space and tried pushing inside. Scrabbling with my back legs, I squeezed in my shoulders. After struggling for a few minutes my head stuck out into the clearing.

I grunted and tried pulling up my forelegs. I tugged and tugged and finally my paws came loose. They flew out of the tunnel and into the clearing, the force of it sent my face into the dirt. Good thing nobody was around to see that...

I hissed in frustration and pulled my hind legs out. I don't know why I even took interest in this stupid clearing, all it got me was a face full of dirt! I shook the dust from my fur and looked around.

It was quite pretty. the sun shone through the trees above, bathing the clearing with a soft green light. The willow tendrils swayed in the breeze, scenting the air with the smell of spring. I inhaled the sweet scent and sighed.

I suddenly shook my head, I'm not here to enjoy the scenery! I looked at the ground, it was covered in a soft moss and a few patches of dirt. Nice and comfy, but I'm not here to sleep either! I came looking for a secret place nobody would know about.

"Now then. Down to business!" I said aloud. The sound of my voice was muffled by the spongey moss and willows. It's perfect! Nobody would hear me very well even if they traveled out here!

"Alright! Lets see..." I said. I sat down and tried to balance on my hind legs. Not standing up, but with the base of my tail still touching the ground. I fell over again and again. I finally hissed and gave up. Instead, I stuck out a claw and started to trace in a dirt patch. It was kinda hard to draw a perfect circle with a claw, but I kept trying.

Finally, I stepped back and proudly looked down on a well-made (seeing as how I'm a cat and all) transmutation circle. "Now then! Let's see if alchemy even works in this world! Or even this body!" I said aloud.

I braced myself and placed my paws on the edge of the circle. I closed my eyes and hoped for a reaction. And to my amazement, yellow light suddenly flashed. I watched wide-eyed as a little stone cat statue was created from the dirt below. "YES! Alchemy works!" I exclaimed happily.

I padded into the Thunderclan camp, proudly carrying a large rabbit in my jaws. After finding out that alchemy works in this place, I had some motivation and hunted a little while. I felt like nothing stood a chance against me, like I could do anything. It was already sunset, time for eating.

I dragged the prey and dumped it on the fresh-kill pile. "Hey! Metalpaw!" called a voice. I looked over my shoulder and spotted Dovepaw and her sister, Ivypaw. "Why don't you grab that rabbit and come share it with us?" she called.

I picked up the prey and padded over to the two apprentices. Ivypaw was napping in the last bit of sunshine, lying on her back so the sun warmed her belly. She purred loudly in her sleep.

"is Ivypaw pretending to be a badger again?" I laughed as I dropped the rabbit and sat down.

Dovepaw smiled and flicked my ear with her tail, "I guess so. But I don't think even a badger could snore that loud!" she laughed.

As if to prove Dovepaw's statement, Ivypaw snorted loudly and rolled over in her sleep.

I sighed and pushed the rabbit towards Dovepaw. "You go ahead, I'm not very hungry." I said.

Dovepaw gave me a concerned look. "Don't worry, it's not like last time." I snorted, rolling my eyes.

"come on, you gotta eat something." Dovepaw insisted.

I sighed and took a bite of the rabbit. I ate some of the prey and Dovepaw ate most of it. She left a big portion of the prey for her sister when she wakes up.

With our hunger satisfied, Dovepaw and I started to walk towards the apprentice's den. Ivypaw had woken up and was eating, promising to join us soon.

We walked side-by-side as we entered the den. It was empty besides the moss nests. Dovepaw sat down in one and laid her head on her paws. I did the same, laying down in a nest beside her.

"I'm glad you joined Thunderclan, Metalpaw. Before you came, this den was empty besides me and Ivypaw. But now we have an extra cat to help us sleep. And to keep us warm during leaf-bare, despite those cold legs of yours!" Dovepaw laughed, taping my automail leg with her tail.

I gave an amused meow and stared off out the entrance as I drifted into thought. Ivypaw had already joined us and was asleep quickly. Soon Dovepaw fell asleep too. They filled the den with their soft snores and breathing. The whole clan was asleep while I stayed awake.

"should I tell Dovepaw about alchemy?" I thought, "tell her about my past? How would she even react? She might see me as a freak and tell the clan, they might kick me out!" I thought fearfully.

I glanced at Dovepaw, she was sleeping peacefully with her milky-grey tail draped over her nose.

I sighed and shook my head. "how could I think that way? She's my friend, and I need to trust her." I silently told myself firmly.

I heard a snort and looked back at Dovepaw, she was purring in her sleep and stretched out her forelegs. I smiled, "I'm her friend too. And I need to show that she can trust me back, no secrets. I will tell her, but not now, in time." I thought before laying my head and closing my eyes to sleep.


	20. Chapter 19

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 19: Training

POV: Edward

(warning: this chapter is extremely long and pointless, read it anyway! :3)

"Wake up! Battle training!" called a loud voice.

I awoke and jumped up with a gasp, my head hitting the roof of the apprentice's den. I landed in a heap back on my nest. I looked up to see Icecloud and Lionblaze, both were purring in amusement. My ears grew hot with embarrassment.

I quickly got up and padded out of the bush. Bright light assaulted my eyes before adjusting. Dovepaw and her sister were already awake, eating some prey by the nursery. They were talking and playing with a couple of kits.

I padded over to my friends and sat down next to them. "Hi Ivypaw! Hi Dovepaw!" I greeted. They smiled in return and turned their attention back to the two kits.

"But you aren't six moons old yet, Cherrykit." Dovepaw explained to a brownish-ginger kit.

The tiny cat whined and stomped off, leaving her brother Molekit behind. "But we will be soon!" the little brown kitten squeaked defiantly.

"Then you will just have to wait until it's time." Ivypaw purred.

The two kits suddenly saw a yellow butterfly. Immediately, the siblings squealed with excitement and shot after it, Ivypaw followed them. I laughed, "that poor butterfly doesn't stand a chance!"

"Yeah... Sometimes I miss being a carefree kit. What about you Metalpaw? What do you miss most about your kittenhood?" Dovepaw asked.

As soon as she said that, I drifted into thought. I swear, my memories are like quicksand!

"I guess... I miss.. My mother and my brother." sighed at last.

"Where is your mother anyway?" Dovepaw asked.

I shook my head, "She's dead. But there's no sense in crying over the past, look towards the future instead." I sighed.

"And your brother? I didn't know you had kin. Is he dead too?" Dovepaw asked.

"He's not dead... My brother is back where I used to live before I woke up here." I said, still staring off into space.

"You want to go back... don't you? You want to see your brother again." Dovepaw whispered sadly.

I smiled and rubbed my head against hers "Of course I want to see my brother. But I know that he is in good care, and that we WILL eventually see each other again." I stated.

Dovepaw sighed and leaned against my shoulder. She got up and walked over to the kits to play. I sat by the nursery and waited for our mentors to finish their meal.

Suddenly, a wad of moss flew and hit my chest. The dry ball exploded a little upon contact. Startled, I jumped into the air. When I landed, I realized what happened. I sneezed and swiped a bit of moss off my nose.

A little brownish-red kit came scrambling after her lost ball of moss moments after it hit me. But her toy was now a pile of plant scraps in my fur and on the stone floor. The adorable little kitten skidded to a halt in front of me.

"oh... S-sorry mister... I didn't mean for it to hit anyone." the little kit stammered. Her mother was watching from afar.

I shook out my fur and smiled, "Don't worry about it. Your Cherrykit, right?" I said, flicking my tail as if to dismiss the previous actions. Cherrykit nodded enthusiastically.

"Then how about we go and get some more moss and play with that, sound good?" I told Cherrykit. She nodded her head again. "Wait here, ok?" I said, turning towards the hollow entrance.

I padded out of camp and clawed some moss off of the nearest tree. Rolling the moss into a ball, I headed back into camp.

I saw Cherrykit's mother, Poppyfrost, talking to her daughter as I entered camp. She seemed to be scolding the little kit. I walked up to the two cats and dropped the ball of moss in front of Cherrykit. "What's the matter?" I asked.

Poppyfrost looked me over, a protective and suspicious look in her eyes. Cherrykit turned to me, her ears and short little tail drooping. "Mamma says I can't play with you anymore..." she mumbled sadly, shuffling her paws.

"W-What? Why?" I said, surprised. The tortoiseshell queen trotted up and stood face-to-face with me.

"I don't want my daughter to be hanging around with such a strange cat. At least not until I get to know how you would act." she huffed.

I stepped back a bit, startled by this cat's aggressiveness. "Oh... Ok. I didn't mean to upset you..." I apologized.

Poppyfrost spun around and swept her tail against Cherrykit, pushing her along. "Molekit! Time to go back to the nursery!" the queen called.

The little light-brown kit stopped playing with the butterfly and obeyed his mother.

I stood there in shock as Poppyfrost herded her kits into the nursery. Why did Cherrykit's mother do that? What did I do wrong? I guess she was worried I might hurt her kits... But I would never do such a thing! I sighed in sadness and laid down.

"Metalpaw!" called a voice. I slowly turned and saw Icecloud standing by the trail. "Time to train!" she added. I got up and walked over to my mentor, tail and ears drooping.

I padded behind Dovepaw and the rest of the cats as we traveled to the training ground. I walked slowly along, tail dragging in the dirt. Dovepaw had heard what Poppyfrost said. She tried to comfort me, she helped but I still felt terrible.

The group of cats entered a huge bunch of ferns and tall grass. I watched as the leading mentors pushed through the plants and disappeared behind the branches. Me and Dovepaw walked in after our mentors. I entered a wide clearing that was covered with grass and moss, the spongy plants tickled underpaw. It was a perfect place to train!

A huge tree grew on one side, a great way to practice climbing. A big clump of ferns spread out behind the clearing, good for practicing stalking. And the spongey moss cushioned any falls a cat might take while training.

"Alright! We are going to do some battle training." announced Cinderheart, Ivypaw's mentor.

Dovepaw and her sister pawed at the ground in excitement. "First off, Metalpaw is new to Thunderclan so he will learn the basic moves." the grey she-cat continued.

I raised my right paw, Cinderheart flinched when she saw the automail. "What are you trying to do, Metalpaw?" she asked, looking at my raised foreleg. I remembered that cats don't use their paws like that and dropped my leg back to the ground in embarrassment.

"Uh... I came from a place that taught battle moves before joining Thunderclan. So I already know some already." I stated.

Cinderheart looked surprised, "Alright. But learning more wont hurt. And besides, maybe you can teach us some." she answered.

Cinderheart trotted up to the other mentors, Lionblaze and Icecloud. They talked to each other for a bit before Lionblaze turned towards us. "Instead of normal battle training, how about we start a mock battle?" he proposed. The other apprentices grew even more excited.

"Alrighty then!" Cinderheart said, "It will be mentors versus apprentices. You three against us. Try to capture this side of the clearing. We will go easy on you since we are all warriors already." the grey cat announced, excitement sparkled in her eyes as well.

The two groups separated to opposite sides of the clearing. Me, Ivypaw, and Dovepaw huddled together to plan out a strategy.

"We should take out Lionblaze first, he's the biggest threat." Dovepaw whispered. Ivypaw nodded in agreement.

"Leave him to me." I said boldly, "I may look a bit... Small... But I can attack with a surprising amount of force." I murmured. Dovepaw tipped her head to me in agreement.

"And I'll take on Icecloud." Ivypaw whispered.

Dovepaw straitened up, "that leaves Cinderheart to me! The first cat to take down their opponent will go for the other side of the clearing." she decided.

We all nodded and turned to face the three warriors. They stood up and prepared for training.

"Before we start, remember to keep your claws sheathed!" Cinderheart called over.

"ready..." our group stood in formation. "set..." we braced ourselves to run.

"GO!"

Suddenly, everyone started streaking toward the other sides. Lionblaze approached me rapidly, but I had enough time to react. He was going to plow strait through me!

I planted my forepaws on the soft moss, griping it with my claws. I put more stress on my metal limbs than my real ones. I dug my automail leg deep into the ground, spreading my front and back legs two tail-lengths apart.

I centered my power and weight on two points, both of my metal legs. I shoved my right shoulder forward. Lionblaze came streaking towards me at an alarming speed. I took a deep breath and braced for impact.

Lionblaze struck my body, planing on knocking me aside and taking my side of the clearing. He gasped in shock and surprise as he stopped dead against me, despite his size and weight. I gave a battle cry and heaved upward, sending Lionblaze flying. He landed in a stunned heap on some ferns, back at his side of the clearing.

I yowled in triumph and streaked towards the enemy's side. I felt so alive, so light and free! I whipped by the ferns, sprinting at a surprising speed. Ivypaw grappled with Icecloud in front of me, strait ahead. I leaped into the air, soaring high above the two cats.

My front paws struck the hard ground. I landed not-so-gracefully, falling over onto my side and skidding into the ferns.

I jumped right back up, broken fern stalks stuck in my fur. "WHOOOOO! YEAH!" I shouted, leaping around in the grass happily.

The plants that were stuck to me fell off in a flurry of ferns. "that was AWESOME! Let's do it again!" I laughed.

The cats had all stopped and watched me finish the match. They stared at me in disbelief, mouths wide. I turned and noticed the stunned cats.

"What?" I asked, looking around.

"How did you jump so high?" Cinderheart gasped.

"Yeah! And how did you take me out so easily?!" Lionblaze panted. He padded up to everyone else from where I threw him, ferns sticking to his pelt.

I still was bursting with energy, clawing at the ground. "Huh? I don't know, really... I was just so excited! That was so much FUN!" I exclaimed.

Icecloud walked up to me and draped her tail across my shoulders, beaming with pride.

"calm down, little one. And explain to us what you did. I think we all should learn something new." she said calmly.

After a couple of deep breaths, I finally calmed down a little. I still felt full of energy but was able to speak.

"Can you tell us how you did that to Lionblaze?" Icecloud asked again.

I looked over at the big golden warrior, he was using his tongue to lick fragments of moss from his fur. Lionblaze is three times my size! No wonder these cats were surprised when I was able to overpower this huge warrior.

"Well... I noticed how you guys always balance your weight evenly when bracing for an attack or stalking prey." I started to explain, "but you see, it's kinda hard for me to do that. These metal limbs add extra weight and off-balances my center of gravity." I said, sweeping my tail at my back metal leg.

"But instead of seeing it as a weakness, I found that it can be quite useful. First off, your enemy would go strait for your center of gravity. A center of gravity is the point of any object where all weight is balanced in a central spot. So if my legs offset my balance, then the enemy would have a harder time knocking me over." I continued, pointing at myself.

"When I found that out, I tried pinpointing my weight into my strongest points, my shoulders, back legs, and metal limbs." I said, sweeping my tail at what was listed. "Anchor yourself using your strongest legs, dig them in deep. They will be farthest away from each other, with your other two legs closer together help balance. Like this..."

I straightened my back and lengthened my stance. my metal foreleg was planted firmly in front of me, and my metal back leg was stretched out behind me. "Focus your weight into your back legs, that way they won't move as easily."

"Then focus most of your power in your shoulders and use them like a shield. Like this," I said, angling my shoulders foreword, my body at a slight angle. My metal shoulder stuck out farthest, so it would make impact first.

The cats started to try it, even the mentors gave it a shot. Ivypaw got it right after a few tries. And the mentors figured it out too. But Dovepaw seemed to be having a bit of trouble.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

The grey apprentice sighed and stopped trying to position herself like I instructed. "It's no use. I don't have strong legs..." she fretted.

I placed my paw on her shoulder, "But I saw you leap really high before. That's a strength." I said.

"I guess..." Dovepaw sighed.

I frowned, "You are stronger than you let yourself believe. There's something about you that's different from everyone else. I can sense it..." I said quietly.

Dovepaw suddenly tensed, as if I had said something that bothered her.

"Try again." I commanded. Dovepaw heaved a sigh and stood like I had instructed. I studied her to see what was wrong.

I walked up to the small grey cat, face-to-face. I looked into her eyes, a sly look in my own. Dovepaw stared back at me, clearly confused.

I suddenly smiled slyly and shoved Dovepaw off her paws. She yelped in surprise as she flopped over onto the moss.

She stood back up and shook out her fur. "what did ya do that for?!" she snorted.

I smiled at my friend, "I was just testing. I think I know what the problem is!" I explained.

Dovepaw's ears angled forward, "You do?" I nodded and motioned to her back legs with my tail.

"I could knock you over too easily. A cat your size should resist more by weight alone. Your underestimating yourself. try to resist more in your back legs, they are stronger than you let yourself believe." I told her.

Dovepaw nodded and tried again, this time placing her back legs closer to each other. I stood in front of her, waiting to surprise attack. Dovepaw's eyes sparkled with determination.

I suddenly darted forward, knocking into the small grey cat. I expected to send her body flying. But I gasped in shock as I slammed into a furry wall. Dovepaw's paws only skidded an inch backwards, still standing.

I was going easy on her! I guess she didn't go easy on ME though.

Dovepaw jumped around in excitement, "I did it!" she chanted happily. I picked myself up, shaking a few scraps of moss from my fur.

"Good job! But remember that a real enemy won't simply charge at you, they will be using tooth and claw. That move will block an attack and stun the enemy for several moments. Use that time wisely." I purred.

Dovepaw stopped frolicking and faced me. Suddenly, she smashed into my body. I gasped and fell over.

Dovepaw was staring down at me with a guilty smile on her face, purring in amusement. I scrambled to my paws.

"What was that for?" I asked.

Dovepaw looked at me, still smiling. "Payback. Now we are even!" she chuckled. I smiled, that WAS pretty funny.

Suddenly, Dovepaw stepped closer and licked my ear. She smiled at me as I stared at her, stunned and confused.

"That was for helping and teaching me." she said.

It was almost sunhigh when training ended, and we all started to head towards the camp. I walked next to Dovepaw at the back. I shoved her a bit, she stumbled off the trail but got right back on. She pushed me back, harder. I stumbled and fell into the ferns next to the path.

I snorted and scrambled to my paws and looked for Dovepaw. I saw her walking with the group, laughing. Icecloud was watching us with an amused smile on her face. I scrambled back to the others and continued to camp.

(wow. That was a loooong and pointless chapter...)

Author's note:  
(don't worry, I'm not pairing Ed with Dovepaw! They are just friends. That's what they all say tho... XP)


	21. Chapter 20

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 20: Excitement

POV: Edward  
(Two weeks later)

Today is the day! My first gathering! I was so excited when Firestar told me yesterday that I couldn't sleep. Even now I was picking through my breakfast, too excited to eat.

Dovepaw was coming with me! Ivypaw, Cinderheart, Dustpelt, Thornclaw, Brackenfur, Hazeltail, and Lionblaze were also coming along. Of course Firestar and Brambleclaw were going too. But the gathering was at night, I have a whole DAY to wait!

I have been practicing my alchemy in that little clearing lately. During which I figured out that I loose energy faster when doing transmutations. In my human body, I was stronger and had more power stamina.

But as a cat I have less strength to transmute. However, this cat body adds a ton of speed where the power is lost. Its not a benefit for alchemy, but still a useful trait. As a result I can't transmute big things when I have had lack of sleep or less prey. But if I concentrate and have a healthy amount of sleep and energy, I can transmute something the size of a big oak tree. Which is massive compared to a cat.

Anyway,

I abandoned the mouse I was picking at and walked over to my mentor. She was speaking to Brableclaw about border patrols or something.

"Icecloud?" I called when she stopped speaking.

She turned her head to look at me. "Yes Metalpaw? What is it?" the white cat responded.

"Do you think I could go out by myself and hunt?" I asked, shuffling my paws.

Icecloud looked at Brambleclaw for permission, who nodded. "Sure. But remember to be back after sunhigh. That's when we head out." the deputy said.

"Thanks!" I called as I padded away to the camp entrance.

My paws made no sound as I strolled through the forest. I watched the leaves rustle in the wind, just enjoying a simple walk. I wasn't going to hunt just yet, I just wanted a way to pass the time!

I was headed towards the Windclan border. The trees were already thinning out, time really flies when your enjoying something. I wasn't going to trespass on their territory, I was just exploring.

The windy rolling hills soon came into view. I stopped and sat five tail-lengths from the border. The breeze brought the smell of rabbits and grass from the plains.

I stared up at the sky, you could see the entire sky out here! In Thunderclan the trees block the whole sky from view, only patches of blue dapple the forest canopy.

I a suddenly caught a whiff of fresh Windclan scent, must be a passing patrol. I heard pawsteps coming from the other side of the border and a group of cats walked out of some tall grass. They were skinnier than Thunderclan cats, and had longer legs and tails.

I waved my paw at the passing cats, trying to say hello. They glanced at me, looking confused as to why this weird cat was flailing it's paw in the air. I remembered that cats don't use their paws like that, but I'm gonna do it anyway.

The Windclan cats suddenly looked surprised and a little appalled. They had spotted my automail. News travels fairly fast between the clans, but Windclan had only heard that Thunderclan had a new member. They now know that this new cat is a bit different.

The leader of the Windclan patrol, a dark brown she-cat, flicked her tail. The three other cats responded by speeding up, trying to quickly pass by.

But one cat was slower than the rest, a grey short haired warrior with brownish-ginger colored front paws. He watched me curiously, even after his patrol was farther ahead.

The warrior looked down at one of his red-brown paws, then glanced back at me. The cat smiled warmly and mimicked my action, waving one of his forelegs in the air.

"This cat seems nice!" I thought as I laughed from my side of the border and returned the cat's gesture.

The patrol leader shouted something inaudible at the grey cat. He frowned and looked in the direction of the she-cat. The warrior sighed and glanced at me, I smiled and flicked my tail towards the patrol leader. The cat smiled back and trotted over to meet up with his border patrol.


	22. Chapter 21

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 21: Chaos  
POV: Edward

The forest that surrounded me was quiet. The very air seemed to be waiting for something, not even a breeze stirred the grass.

About two hours have passed since I left the Windclan border. Now I was hunting a little. I already caught a vole and two mice, they were stashed under a chestnut tree root. Not much at all for a two-hour hunt. The animals seemed to be hiding from something.

I stalked a robin that was trying to drag a worm from the ground. This was going to be my last catch before heading back to camp.

I silently moved closer to the bird, closer... Almost there... I wiggled my haunches, ready to jump. Suddenly, the bird released the worm and looked around.

The bird took a step away and spread it's wings to fly. I hissed and sprang onto the prey, the robin gave a loud cry of alarm and tried to flap away. I quickly grabbed one of the bird's wings between my paws and dragged it down before it could fly away. I made the killing blow and the forest was quiet once more.

What had alarmed the bird? I didn't hear anything... My stalking was perfect and I was downwind of the robin too. So what did it find so scary that it gave up a large meal? That seems like a large price, especially since this robin was probably collecting food for it's mate.

I don't know why, but I felt like this was important. Like something good or bad might come from this... But what?

Then I heard the tiniest sound. It was a little rumble that barely made any noise at all. I was just going to ignore it and head back to camp with my catch.

But then I noticed something peculiar... Something... Frightening... The sound was getting louder! Not only that, but I could FEEL the rumbling now!

I dropped the bird that was dangling from my jaws. It only took me a few seconds to realize what was happening, I just didn't want to believe that it actually WAS happening...

"EARTHQUAKE!" I yowled. I screeched it as loud as I possibly could, hoping that if any cats could hear me, they would know to run for cover. "SHIT! No no no NO!"

I sprinted through the trees towards the camp as fast as I could, bounding over logs and bushes like a hare. I didn't seem to tire, adrenaline and fear kept me going. The shaking was mild, but it still threatened to trip me. I hoped with all my heart that nothing bad had happened to my clan and my new friends...

I leaped over one last log, the stone hollow was now in view. The sounds of frightened cats was drowned out by the deafening roar of the quake.

I sprinted around the hollow's rim, showering little pebbles into the camp below. I quickly glanced into the hollow, but the sight made me stop running instantly.

Cats were scrambling around down inside, most warriors were helping elders climb the rock pile and hide in Firestar's cave den. My eyes widened in fear.

"Why are they doing that?! This is an EARTHQUAKE! not a flood, fire, or storm!" I thought fearfully. Thank goodness the earthquake hasn't caused much damage yet!

Without thinking, I leaped strait into the hollow. thank goodness the cliff I jumped from wasn't very high up! I missed the trail and plunged headlong towards the stone floor. I stuck out my automail and landed with a loud clang. I recovered quickly from impact.

"STOP!" I yowled.

The cats didn't listen and continued to rush the old or weak into the "safe" cave den. Firestar spotted me from atop the highledge. He leaped down and bounded over to me.

"Metalpaw! Where were you?! This is terrible! We have never experienced or heard of this kind of storm!" Firestar shouted. His brilliant green eyes were wide with fear.

"Firestar, you have to listen to me!" I yelled desperately, trying to be heard above the rumbling. Firestar looked at me and despite his fear, he calmed himself and listened.

"We need to get out of here! Now! Do NOT put any cats in cracks, nooks, or caves! Those are death traps during this thing! The only option is to get out of any enclosed area and onto flat land, NOW!" I shouted.

Firestar's fear was partially replaced by determination, "Okay, Metalpaw! I trust you! I just hope you know what your doing!" he said to me.

The ginger cat sprang back up to the highledge and motioned for me to join him.

"EVERYONE! LISTEN UP!" Firestar yowled. The cats stopped and tried to listen to their leader, but the rumbling made it difficult. "Alright Metalpaw, your turn!" he said.

I stepped in front of Firestar and took a deep breath. "WARRIORS! get EVERYONE out of this camp, NOW! Caves are not safe! Get the queens, kits, and elders OUT OF THERE! Go to the open forest!" I yowled.

The cats responded immediately, already trying to round up the elders. Brambleclaw was carrying Molekit in his jaws while Poppyfrost carried Cherrykit carefully down the cave trail.

"ED! Metalpaw!" yowled a desperate voice.

I only caught a glimpse of Dovepaw's face before her whole body slammed into me. I toppled off of the highledge and landed on my back on the sandy stone floor below.

"Ouch..." I groaned.

"Metalpaw! Oh, Metalpaw! I thought I lost you!" Dovepaw said, nearly choking herself with purrs.

I shoved her off of me, "yeah! But we gotta GO!" I shouted.

Dovepaw straitened up, "Ok! But let's check the dens for any others first!" she said, voice full of determination. I ran after Dovepaw as she sprinted towards the medicine den.

All clear!" she announced.

We checked the apprentice's den, the elder's den, the warrior's den, and the nursery. They were all clear. Dovepaw ran up the trail and out of camp. But I stayed below, helping the last few cats leave.

The last cat to leave was poppyfrost, she had stepped on a sharp stone and was slowed. She limped up the winding trail that lead out of the hollow.

Suddenly, Poppyfrost gasped and stumbled. She had stepped on a flat rock that was on the trail, it slid under her foot and tripped her. Poppyfrost's grip on her daughter slipped, sending the little kit off the steep side of the path.

"Cherrykit!" Poppyfrost screeched. The little dark ginger kitten plummeted back down into the deep hollow, mewling desperately for help.

I gasped and immediately sprang towards the falling kit, running as fast as I could. Cherrykit was flailing in the air as she plunged closer to the cold stone floor.

The little kit was three tail-lengths from the ground. I leaped, soaring like a bird. "Gotcha!" I gasped as my teeth met soft fur. Cherrykit now dangled from my jaws, trembling in fear.

"Mother?" the little kit squeaked, opening an eye to see if she died or not. I didn't say anything to the kitten as I sprinted back up the trail in fear of loosing my grip.

The shaking earth was threatening to make me stumble and fall back down WITH the kit. There would be no saving us then. I ran up the winding trail, getting closer and closer to Poppyfrost. The tortoiseshell queen was in front of everyone else, her head outstretched to grab the kit.

Almost there...

A deafening crack boomed in my ears. I was suddenly forced onto my belly and dragged backwards. I looked down, the earthquake caused a portion of the stone trail to break off, with me standing on it! My eyes widened in horror and I yowled in fear.

I could feel my legs slipping down the cliffside. I scrabbled at the stone with my back legs and clawed at the top with my front paws. But my efforts were in vain, my back automail leg was too heavy and was dragging me down!

My belly was already dangling off the cliff with my chest soon to follow. I could feel my front claws scrape the rock uselessly.

I looked towards the cats at the top of the hollow, they were scrambling around desperately but were unable to help me. Poppyfrost was the closest cat, she yowled and tried to run to me and Cherrykit. But the other cats blocked her in fear of loosing her too.

My chest was dragged over, the only thing keeping me from falling were my front legs and claws... I need to think fast... or else both me and the kit will be doomed! I took a deep breath... And made my decision...

Using the last bit of energy I had left, I tossed Cherrykit into the air towards her mother. I only glimpsed Poppyfrost catch her kitten before the rest if my body and my head were dragged off the side of the cliff...

I yowled in terror, the stone floor rushed closer and closer. I flailed my legs in the air as I fell.

I was facing the sky with my back towards the ground, a deadly position for impact. My body didn't flip over to land on my feet like cats always do. My metal legs acted like counter weights, keeping me from turning over. the huge broken pieces of the stone path littered the ground below, pointing up at me like teeth.

I braced myself for impact. What good would that do? I cant land on my paws anyway. My metal limbs throws off my weight too much for my body to instinctually correct itself to land paws-first.

There's no way I'll survive this high of a fall. It ends here... I failed Bluestar, I failed Firestar, and most of all... I failed Dovepaw.

But it was odd, I was surprisingly calm. Seeming to accept my fate, I let myself go limp and closed my eyes. I waited for the stone to slam into my fragile cat-body. I was calm but sorrowful.

I felt the solid ground strike me. a searing pain slammed through my entire body before I blacked out completely...

(dun, Duh, DUNNN! :3 cliffhanger!)

Side note:  
(the stone hollow is actually an old abandoned stone block mine out in that forest, confirmed in the books. Mines like these are different than normal mine shafts which are dark, deep, and dangerous. No, these stone mines are spiral-ish shaped with a trail that winds around the inside for an exit. They are also shallow and not nearly as deep as normal mine shafts. But that is still a HUGE drop, especially for a cat.)

(I'm debating wether to kill/cripple/paralyze Ed, or keep him just how he is. :3 mwuahhhaaa!)


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Awake?  
(Aka: SUPER short chapter)

POV: Edward

"Ugh... What happened?" I groaned. I tried to move and sit up. But immediately a stinging pain shot up my side.

"Shhh... Don't try to move." said a voice, "Heh... Here we are again, Metalpaw. You, a pitiful wounded heap of fur, and me, the poor medicine cat who is supposed to take care of you." the voice growled.

I opened my eyes and saw a dark grey cat. "Jayfeather, you bastard... What happened to me?" I mumbled.

Upon hearing his name, Jayfeather turned around to face me. "Your pretty lucky Metalpaw... Or should I call you Ed? We are alone after all." Jayfeather said, not answering my question.

That seemed odd... Jayfeather always called me by my cat name...

"Eat these." the blind cat commanded, shoving a pawful of red berries in my face.

"well, SOMEONE'S in a good mood!" I said sarcastically.

Jayfeather flicked his tail and went back to sorting herbs. I licked up the bright, blood-red berries and chewed despite the bitter taste.

Soon after I swallowed the medicine, my vision suddenly blurred and my head pounded with pain. "W-Wha..." I gasped, choking for air. I clawed at my head as it burned with pain. I struggled to breath, my lungs seemed to quit working.

"What's going on!?" I yowled.

Jayfeather turned around... But it wasn't Jayfeather... His eyes were a bright glowing red, his mouth was the same color with a jagged grin. A ear-wrenching laugh clawed at my sensitive eardrums.

I was suddenly enveloped in darkness, sad, scared voices of cats calling for help filled my ears. I thrashed around in the dark nothingness. The blood-red eyes appeared, a jagged smile stretching across "Shhhh... Just relax... Trust meeee... Edward Elric!" the terrible voice snarled. My vision gave out and all I heard was the echo of that voice...

(short chapter! Sorry! o3o *kissy face!*)


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Miracle

POV: Edward

I gasped and my eyes opened to see the roof of the medicine den. it was just a dream! "How am I still alive? That fall would have killed me for sure..." I murmured. I heaved and gasped for breath, as if I had actualy lost function of my lungs...

I shakily looked around, Jayfeather isn't here. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing after that dream. I tried to get up, but my entire body hurt like crazy.

A rustle sounded behind me, I craned my neck to see what it was. Dovepaw was limping through the medicine den entrance, the brambles snagging in her fur. She carried a leaf-wrap full of herbs.

Dovepaw's eyes met mine, her mouth dropped open, spilling the herbs. "HE'S ALIVE!" the grey cat yowled.

She jumped into the air, heading strait towards me. I gasped and rolled away from my nest and out of her way. Dovepaw landed belly-first on the moss instead of me. She scrambled up and ran to my side.

"Metalpaw! I was afraid I really lost you this time! Jayfeather said that there was no way you would survive!" the hysterical apprentice gasped, purring loud enough to shake the whole den.

A little dark ginger kit bundled into the medicine den and leaped into the air. I gasped as the little kit's fluffy body landed on me. "Metalpaw! Your awake! Wow, you sleep a lot!" Cherrykit squeaked.

Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Firestar, and Icecloud pushed into the den. Cherrykit backed away from me so they could come closer. More cats waited outside.

"W-What happened? How did I survive?" I stuttered.

Jayfeather bounded over to me and started to sniff my fur. "Incredible... I was sure you would end up like Briarlight... But much much worse." the blind cat said wistfully.

"Like Briarlight? Paralyzed?!" I gasped.

Jayfeather nodded, still checking for any other injuries. He ran his paw down my back, feeling for any breaks. "Yes, you would have been killed instantly if it wasn't for Dovepaw." Jayfeather said. I looked at Dovepaw, she was still purring joyfully.

"moments before you struck the ground, Dovepaw slid underneath your body. Your backbone still fractured, and Dovepaw's leg was dislocated, but you somehow healed and survived." Jayfeather explained.

I stared at Dovepaw. She risked her life to save mine... "Thank you Dovepaw... For everything..." I managed to choke out.

Dovepaw licked my ear, "That's what friends are for, looking out for one another." she said.

"That terrible storm went away soon after you fell. It just disappeared, no clouds or anything to show for it besides the damage to the camp. That was two weeks ago" Jayfeather told me.

My eyes widened, "TWO WEEKS?!" I exclaimed, "I have been asleep for that long?!" Jayfeather nodded solemnly.

I drifted into thought, two weeks? I wonder how long I have been gone back in Amestris. I have been with Thunderclan for two months now... Two weeks is nothing compared to that... I wonder if anybody knows where I am... Or if anybody even misses me...

"Metalpaw?" a soft voice spoke up, snapping me out of thought. Dovepaw looked at me with fear in her eyes. "What was that storm?" she whispered.

"It wasn't a storm, it's called an earthquake. When forces deep within earth build up tension, they break unexpectedly, causing a huge shift in that part of the world. This shift can easily destroy entire structures or spread deep cracks throughout the land. That earthquake we had was a tiny flick compared to the worst..." I explained.

The cats started glancing around fearfully. The information I was giving was truly terrifying.

Dovepaw tapped my shoulder with her paw. "What is it?" I responded. "W-Will it ever happen again?" she squeaked fearfully.

I didn't want to answer that. The clan was scared enough already. But I promised myself to never lie to Dovepaw...

"Maybe... Smaller earthquakes usually trigger bigger ones. But it will take a quite a while for it to hit, maybe several months... Or maybe only a few days..." I said grimly. The cats started to panic, trying to run out of the medicine den.

"Calm down!" Firestar suddenly shouted. The cats stopped fleeing and looked at their leader.

"If what Metalpaw says is true, then panicking won't solve anything. We can only prepare." the ginger tom announced.

Firestar turned around and looked down at me. "you seem to know a lot about these earthquakes. Will you help us prepare?" Firestar asked.

I stood up, with some effort and a growl from Jayfeather, to face my leader. "No need to ask. You are my clan and my friends, it would be shameful not to help after all you've done. I would be honored" I announced.

Author's note:  
(that was super cheesy... Dx oh well...)


	25. Chapter 24

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 24: Absent minds still wander  
(Amestris chapter! Yays! :3)

(ps: this takes place in Amestris during the earthquake. They don't feel the earthquake because central is too far away from the forest.)

POV: 3rd

Roy Mustang was in his office, doing nothing, in central headquarters. He sat at a desk piled with paperwork, but he had no intention on doing any of it.

For once Roy wasn't necessarily procrastinating, he just didn't feel motivated enough to do anything. Ever since Edward was put in the hospital a month ago, everyone around headquarters has been in a depressed mood.

Mustang really did care for Ed's wellbeing, but he denied it constantly. But it wasn't just worry that had him feeling depressed, Roy actually missed Ed. He was entertaining, in an annoying sort of way. Mustang could pass the time by finding new ways to make the pipsqueak mad, or force him to work on the most pointless assignments

"Might as well do something... Maybe even check on that little bastard." Mustang sighed after much time wasted in his thoughts.

As soon as Roy stood up from his desk, the phone started to ring. He quickly answered it. "Hello?" Mustang greeted. A worried voice said something hurriedly on the other line.

Roy suddenly dropped the phone and ran out the door, a few papers blew from the desk and glided to the ground.

Mustang sprinted through the hall, bumping into people on his way. Hawkeye was one of those people.

"Sir? Whats wrong?! Where are you going?!" She yelled, catching up to Roy and running alongside him.

"We need to get to the hospital, NOW." Roy said urgently. Riza only nodded and followed.

Mustang jumped into the passenger seat of a black car. Hawkeye quickly joined him in the driver's seat and started the vehicle.

The black car sped away from central headquarters and into the city. Riza wasn't afraid to go well over the speed limit to get to her destination.

Mustang and Hawkeye ran through the hospital hallways towards Ed's room.

"Now will you please explain what's going on?" Riza demanded.

"I got a phone call from the hospital telling me to come immediately. I'm guessing Alphonse also received the call." Mustang quickly replied.

The two soldiers barged through the door into Edward's room. Al was already there, standing near the hospital bed.

Ed was still in a coma, lying in the bed as if he was asleep. Nurses and doctors moved around beside him, examining him and setting up equipment.

"What's going on?!" Mustang demanded. A nurse hurried over and told them to lower their voices.

"Uh... Mr. Elric's heart rate and breathing are dangerously high. It's happened before, but not nearly this bad. He could easily die from this. But our doctors are trying to fix the problem." The nurse explained.

Al was terrified, but Mustang and Riza were calmer. Someone shouted and the nurse hurried back over to the doctors.

No matter what the paramedics tried, they couldn't calm Ed's heart rate or breathing. They seemed to be panicking, afraid that they were going to loose him. Al and Winry could only watch and hope.

The heart rate sensor was going crazy, (you know, the heart machine thingie... The beepity beep thing :I) the noise was loud and annoying. The doctors gave Ed different medication in hopes that it might work.

Then all at once, the annoying sound of the heart rate sensor suddenly stopped. A long constant low-pitched note replaced the higher-pitched beeping. The room went silent. Only the long sound of the machine could be heard.

"He...He's gone..." A doctor said solemnly.

"N-No! He can't be!" Al gasped.

Mustang and Hawkeye just stood still, shocked and bewildered. Roy never imagined that stubborn little pipsqueak would die this easily...

"I'm sorry... We did every-" The doctor began to say. But another sound interrupted him. A slow, steady beeping. The heart rate sensor was going off again.

A nurse ran over to check the equipment and see if it was working properly. The doctor stared at Ed with a surprised expression.

"What? How can this be? He just Died!" He gasped.

The doctor rushed over to Ed and checked for any signs of breathing.

"Well I'll be... He's alive. I don't know how, but Edward's vitals are normal. He's completely stable now." the doctor said.

"what happened?" Riza asked.

The doctor shook his head. "I don't know. But whatever it was, we were completely powerless to stop it. It seems that Edward is much stronger than I first thought." the doctor answered.

"Well, that's fullmetal for you. So stubborn that he somehow hangs on even in death." Mustang laughed, shaking his head.

Side notes:  
(Okai... That was kinda fun to write! :P I had to add something about Amestris sooner or later. Its been too long since the last chapter like this one.)

(To explain a bit, the part where Mustang and Riza enter Ed's room is when Ed is running up the trail carrying Cherrykit. He's so terrified during the earthquake, that it's actually affecting his body back in central. And when Ed's heart stops is when Metalpaw breaks his back. He actually dies for a while, but Jayfeather brought him back using herbs n' stuffs. :3)


	26. Chapter 25

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 25: Prepare

(kitteh chapter!)

POV: Edward

The next few weeks flew by quicker than I hoped. The cats learned new drills and what to do in situations like the earthquake.

They were all to quickly exit the camp at the slightest sign of a tremor. Two of the fastest warriors stay in the camp until everyone is outside in case anybody falls. I am one of those warriors, but it depends on who is available at the time.

The chaos that took place four weeks ago was almost unnoticeable. The rubble had been cleaned up and the dens repaired. Any loose rocks that were broken from the outer walls and had fallen into camp were rolled away and disposed of or used to reinforce dens.

Dovepaw has kept a sharp eye on me and the camp ever since the earthquake. She's worried that she might loose her friend again. I assure her that I'll be okay, but Dovepaw persists.

It's odd... Dovepaw seems to know what I'm doing even if she's not around... Is she stalking me? I'd better be careful when practicing alchemy, she might be watching...

Present time:

I gazed over the clan from atop the hollow's edge. It was a busy day, leaf-fall was approaching and the gathering was tonight. The clan hurried to prepare for both winter and an earthquake drill.

Thunderclan never attended the last gathering, it was the same day the earthquake hit. Firestar believes that the other clans didn't go either, that earthquake was too violent. The clans would have had their own problems to deal with.

The elders were napping on the new "sunning-rocks," as they call it. It was made from the same boulders that had tumbled from the camp's exit, and the same ones that had nearly killed me. I avoided that spot regularly, it just didn't feel right. As if I should have died there... But survived.

Poppyfrost and her kits were playing in the sunny spot outside the nursery. The tortoiseshell queen threw a ball of moss at Molekit. he squealed and caught it, passing it to his sister Cherrykit. I smiled and watched them play.

Ever since I saved her kit, Poppyfrost became very trusting. Cherrykit and Molekit were allowed to play with me, even encouraged to. Cherrykit liked me most. Molekit was fun but was also lazy. But That little ginger Cherrykit was always so eager to learn and was super energetic, she reminded me of Al and I when we were younger.

"hey Ed." said a voice.

I returned to reality, pulling myself from my thoughts. I turned and smiled at Dovepaw, she seemed to be everywhere at once!

"How come you gotta follow me wherever I go?" I sighed.

Dovepaw flicked my ear with her tail, "Because you get into trouble so easily! And I can't always be there to bail you out!" she fretted.

"I guess..." I sighed.

Me and Dovepaw watched the bustling clan below in silence.

"Hey Metalpaw, what causes an earthquake? I've been wondering what it was and if it is possible to prevent it." Dovepaw asked.

I shook my head, "It can't be prevented or predicted." I answered.

Dovepaw flicked her ear, "Alright, but what ARE they?" she persisted.

I sighed and started to trace in the dirt with my claw. A rough map of the world soon took shape, the continents divided into pieces.

"What's that?" Dovepaw asked.

"This is the world from above. These sections here," I said, pointing to the jagged pieces on my map, "Are what scientists call tectonic plates. These plates move slowly on the earth's surface, at about one claw's length each couple seasons." I explained.

"but if they are moving that slowly, what do they have to with the earthquake?" Dovepaw asked.

"Good question. But no matter how slow the plates are moving, they are still massive and full of energy. If two plates collide, then one will dip below the other and melt. If one of the plates puts stress on the other, it builds and builds over time until it breaks."

"This break causes a massive shift in the earth that takes a ripple affect. like a stone splashing in a pond makes ripples that spread, earthquakes spread tremors, shaking and trembling all in it's path." I finished.

Dovepaw seemed intrigued. "how do you know so much about the earth and stuff like this?" she asked, looking at me with curious eyes.

I laughed nervously and scratched my chest with my paw, trying to think of a way to explain.

"Uh... The military I came from had a division of scientists who study this stuff... I was interested in this kind of stuff so I looked into it." I rambled.

Dovepaw nudged me back to reality. "Huh? Oh... Sorry..." I apologized.

Dovepaw smiled and flicked my ear with her tail. "Your fine. How about we go and see if we can be of any use?" she meowed. I followed the light grey she-cat down into the camp to talk with firestar.


	27. Chapter 26

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 26: The Gathering

POV: Edward

"This is going to be so much FUN!" squealed a super-happy Dovepaw.

We walked together behind the group of cats chosen to attend the gathering. Dovepaw couldn't quit hopping up and down with excitement.

"I can't wait to introduce you to my friends in the other clans!" Dovepaw said.

I couldn't share the apprentice's enthusiasm, my back was KILLING me. It ached all day since the VERY early dawn patrol I had to join. But I didn't want to tell Jayfeather because he'd surely make me stay at the camp during the gathering!

"Yay! Look! We're almost there!" Dovepaw squeaked.

She hopped up onto a huge fallen tree that stretched over the lake towards an island. I followed carefully and finally jumped down onto the pebbly shore of the lake.

Smells and sounds filled my senses before I even entered the island's clearing. It smelled like the Shadowclan and Windclan's borders, but warmer and fresher. Those clans must already be here.

I pushed past a barrier of bushes after Dovepaw. I saw tons of cats standing in the clearing as I entered. Some were clumped together in groups talking to one another. and others sat alone as they waited for the gathering to start.

I trotted up to Dovepaw. "There's so many cats! Are you sure it's safe?" I asked quietly.

Dovepaw flicked my ear with her tail, "Of course it is! The clans are under a truce during the full moon. If any cat fights, the gathering will end." She explained.

"I'm going to go find my friends! I'll meet up with you and introduce them!" Dovepaw called, springing away into the mass of cats.

I stared around, how in the world could anyone find a certain individual in this crowd! I sighed and sat down to wait for Dovepaw to return.

"Hey!" a male voice suddenly said.

I looked around, was someone calling me? But everybody in Thunderclan knows my name... I didn't recognize the sound of the voice either.

"You! Shiny-legged cat!" shouted the voice again.

Okay, he is definitely talking to me. I whirled around to find the mysterious cat.

I spotted a grey cat with reddish-brown paws happily bounding towards me. I was confused, who was this cat? He's definitely not Thunderclan, so why would he be happy to see me?

The cat skidded to a halt in front of me. "Y-Yes? What is it?" I stammered.

The grey tom caught his breath before speaking. "Remember me? We met on the Windclan border!" he panted.

"Oh yeah! Now I remember!" I said. I was trying to be nice, even after such an awkward greeting.

The cat smiled, "So your the new Thunderclan cat! I'm Emberfoot! What's your name?" he asked.

"Metalpaw. But you can call me whatever you want." I answered.

"hey, look! Riverclan is here! Boy, are they late!" Emberfoot meowed, turning his head towards the bushes.

A group of sleek cats walked into the clearing. They seemed frail and thin compared to a Thunderclan cat... Wait... They ARE thin! The Riverclan cats looked like they haven't had a good night's rest in moons!

A grey she-cat lead the ragged group. That must be the Riverclan leader. she seemed weak but her brilliant blue eyes shone with determination.

The grey cat tried jumping up onto the big tree with the rest of the leaders. But she didn't leap high enough, missing the low branch she aimed for. The cat hissed and crouched down to jump again.

This time the Riverclan leader jumped higher, but only her claws snagged the pine branch. Her grip was slipping, claws tearing the bark. Quickly, Firestar rushed forward and grabbed the grey cat by the scruff. She sighed in relief as Firestar dragged her up to the branch with the other leaders.

"Come on, Metalpaw. Let's go sit with the crowd, the gathering will start soon." Emberfoot whispered.

He got up and padded away with me following. We settled down between a dark brown she-cat and my mentor, Icecloud. She nodded at Emberfoot in greeting and turned her attention towards the huge tree.

"I will be starting the gathering today!" boomed a big white tom with jet-black paws.

"That's Blackstar, Shadowclan's leader." Emberfoot whispered to me. I nodded and looked back at the tree.

"Shadowclan's territory was shaken by a terrible storm a moon ago. It did not affect us much, but it did leave my clan confused and worried. There is nothing else to report." Blackstar finished.

I snorted, he was boasting! 'Didn't affect us?' I'm sure it caused more damage than he's letting on! But he is a leader, and it would be unwise to admit weakness...

A brown tom stepped forward. "Thats Onestar." Emberfoot murmured. Icecloud quickly shushed him.

"Windclan was also hit by this storm. We had no casualties but our camp was damaged a little. But I assure you that it isn't a problem any longer!" the cat announced, sweeping his gaze over the cats below as if daring them to call Windclan weak. The tom stepped back and motioned for another leader to speak.

Firestar was next, his fire-colored fur looked bright against the dark green needles of the pine he sat on. "Thunderclan was also shaken by this... 'storm.' many, many cats would have died if it wasn't for our new apprentice, Metalpaw. He was raised outside of Thunderclan and learned about these storms."

"They are called earthquakes and are extremely dangerous. We all encountered only a tiny earthquake, and there will be more. Bigger, stronger ones that were triggered by the first." Firestar said loudly.

Cats in the clearing started to urgently talk with one another. "What will we do?!" One cat shouted from inside the crowd.

"How will we survive?" yelled another. The sound of fearful chatter filled the air.

"SILENCE!" Firestar boomed.

The clearing grew quiet again, attention was returned to Firestar.

"Thank you." he said, curling his tail neatly over his paws.

"Metalpaw says that these earthquakes come from deep within the rock below us, building up pressure and snapping to cause massive vibrations through the earth."

"As a result, any enclosed or rocky areas are danger zones. The best way to avoid harm and death is to quickly get to an open area and away from caves, rocky slopes, cliffs, and badger sets or dens to wait for the earth to stop shaking." Firestar finished.

"Wait... So this new apprentice of yours just HAPPENED to know this much about these... 'earthquakes' and show up only a couple moons before it happened?! How do we know he didn't CAUSE the earth to shake?!" Blackstar growled.

Firestar remained calm and faced the white cat respectfully. "I see your reason, Blackstar. But do you really think that an APPRENTICE could cause something as powerful as that? Besides, he nearly died for a falling kit that day. If he wanted the earthquake to happen, why save the lives he knew would be in danger?" Firestar argued gently.

Blackstar huffed and turned his back to the Thunderclan leader.

I ducked my head and glanced at the ground in shame. I lifted my metal paw and stared at it. "I actually COULD cause something that powerful... Even more so. Alchemy itself is extremely powerful. Using it, I could destroy entire cities within minutes... And only a year ago, the entire country and even the world could have been destroyed if it weren't for me and the others." I thought. I sighed and looked back up at the leaders.

"Mistystar, aren't you going to speak?" Onestar said to the skinny Riverclan cat.

She nodded and walked shakily forward. "it seems Riverclan was not as lucky as the other three clans. Two cats died, Pebblefoot and Rushpaw. A tree was torn loose by the earthquake and fell on the two cats." Mistystar sighed. Sad meows rose from the crowd of cats.

"And to add to that, the shaking had re-directed the river. Our camp is now a dry stream bed that cannot be used for shelter. The river only changed slightly, flowing in a wide arc around our home. It re-enters the riverbed downstream from the camp." The leader meowed.

"We have found a temporary home for now. But I don't know how long it will take for the river to return to it's original course." Mistystar sighed sadly.

I bent my head down and leaned towards Emberfoot. "Psst... Are cats allowed to talk during gatherings?" I whispered.

Emberfoot gave me a shocked expression. "Y-Yeah... As long as it's important and not disrespectful." he answered.

"Good!" I said, a sly glint in my eyes.

POV: Firestar

"I am sorry for your loss, Mistystar. But I hope that your clan quickly recovers and can return to normal life soon." I said to the grey cat.

"That concludes this moon's gathering!" I shouted.

I was about to jump down from the tree when my eyes caught a shimmer of light. Curious, I swept my gaze over the cats and spotted Metalpaw. He was waving his metal foreleg leg in the air! I chuckled, this kid is something special, that's for sure!

POV: Edward

"What is it Metalpaw?" Firestar called down.

The other leaders stopped climbing the tree and sat back down. They had disapproving looks as they saw me, the cat Firestar told them of, flailing his paw in the air.

"Mistystar, ma'm, if I may speak, I would like to suggest something." I politely called.

Mistystar looked bewildered but nodded down at me. "You may speak." she said.

"You say that your river has changed course? Try setting up a dam of sorts in the beginning of the direction change. Use stones or wood to block the water. The water will pool up and empty out wherever possible. Make sure that it flows into the dry river bed." I called up at the Riverclan leader.

Mistystar looked surprised, "L-Like what beavers do?" she asked.

I smiled and nodded. Mistystar tilted her head in thought, "hmm... We shall try. Thank you, Metalpaw." the Riverclan leader said nicely. I nodded in return.

The leaders jumped down from their perches on the tree and began rounding up their cats.

"I gotta go, Metalpaw. It was nice seeing you again! Maybe we will meet at the next gathering!" Emberfoot called over his shoulder as he scampered off towards Windclan.

"Hey Metalpaw!" said a happy female voice.

I turned to see Dovepaw standing behind me.

"Hi." I said plainly.

"So who was that cat?" Dovepaw asked, craning her neck to see where Emberfoot went.

"Oh, that's Emberfoot. We met a while ago on the Windclan border. We didn't speak to each other then, but he seemed nice." I answered.

"Anyway, I couldn't find my friend. Tigerheart must've stayed in the Shadowclan camp instead of attend the gathering." Dovepaw sighed.

I flicked Dovepaw with my tail. "Come on, fur ball, let's go." I purred.

She smiled and pounced on my golden tail, pinning it to the ground. I yanked my tail away and slapped Dovepaw with it.

"I'm right behind you, poof pelt!" she laughed, trotting up to my side.


	28. Chapter 27

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 27: Danger born from Care

POV: Edward

"Hey Metalpaw, Dovepaw, where are you going?" Firestar called over to me and Dovepaw.

We were walking towards the log bridge. I froze and turned around. "Oops! I forgot to ask!... Firestar, can me and Dovepaw leave early and take a walk in the forest?" I asked nervously.

Firestar smiled, "Of course you can. I remember being your age, always wanted to get away. Have fun." He murmured.

"Yay! Let's go." Dovepaw breathed.

I hopped up onto the wide fallen tree and walked across. Dovepaw closely followed. I looked down at the dark lake water, it's rippling surface reflected the stars above. We jumped down onto the pebbly shore and started to pad towards Thunderclan territory.

The tall oak trees and dark forest was welcoming and quiet. The cool dew-covered grass felt soothing on my paws after walking along the rocky shore.

Dovepaw shoved me playfully, scampering into the trees. "Oh, it's on!" I meowed, chasing after the grey apprentice. It felt good to stretch my legs, to just run without reason.

I caught up to Dovepaw and ran alongside her. We continued like this for some time before stopping to rest.

"Hey, come on. I wanna look at something." Dovepaw said.

She started to pad into the trees, towards the rocky hills. I followed without a word.

The forest grew thicker as we traveled farther away from the Thunderclan camp. I noticed a tall cliff ahead, Dovepaw was heading strait for it.

"Aaaand... Where are we going?" I asked. Dovepaw waved her tail at the rocky cliff. I guess that answered my question...

I stared up at the sheer rock, it was at least twenty feet high! I heard a small rock tumble, making me jump. Dovepaw was scrambling up the side of the cliff!

"What are you doing!" I hissed up at the grey she-cat.

She glanced down at me, eyes sparkling playfully. "I'm just exploring!" Dovepaw meowed.

She continued to climb the treacherous slope, showering stones down with every step.

I clawed at the dirt nervously as Dovepaw scrambled up the rock. I had a bad feeling about this...

"Wow! I can see everything from up here!" Dovepaw meowed.

She stood on the top of the ledge, her eyes wide in wonder. I stared up at Dovepaw, fearing disaster.

"J-Just be careful!" I called.

"Be careful? I'm fine! Look, it's perfectly stable..." Dovepaw said.

She began to lightly pounce around on the stone...

"That isn't helping my anxiety attack Dovepaw!" I shouted fearfully. Usually she's the one who is always so careful!

Dovepaw rolled her eyes. "If it makes you feel better, I'll get down!" she huffed.

Dovepaw started to turn around to climb back down the cliff.

As I watched my best friend, I suddenly got a sick feeling. something is going to happen, and it can't be good...

As if on cue, Dovepaw stepped on a loose stone while climbing. My heart seemed to stop, the sick feeling turned into fear.

"SHIT! No NO NO! Not again!" I yowled. "Why does something terrible happen to EVERYONE I get close to?!"

Dovepaw wailed in fear as her balance was suddenly gone, along with the cliff she stood on. It seemed to disappear from under her, it all happened so fast. Instincts took hold and her body twisted in the air to land on her feet. But that wouldn't help at all! It would only guarantee crippled legs IF she somehow survived.

I couldn't think strait, my head swam with confusion and terror but logic and reason was left out. Its just like what happened to me! But... I only saved Cherrykit because Poppyfrost was there to catch her, and I only survived because Dovepaw whas there to catch me... But we are alone now, nobody's around.

Without thinking or hesitating, I sprinted towards the cliff. My mind went blank, "Save her, Save her" was all I could think. My golden eyes must have been wider than two full moons, filled with desperation and fear.

My head spun and my stomach was tied in knots. My mind was still blank as I ran towards the cliff. I had no idea what I was doing, but at least I was actually trying.

the stone cliff was a few tail-lengths away. Acting on impulse, i jumped into the air and touched my front paws together. yowling a battle cry of sorts, I splayed my paws in front of me and slammed them against the cliff.

Bright yellow light blinded me and my ears rang. The reaction sent me flying backwards, toppling onto my back. I laid there for a few heartbeats, my thoughts clearing along with the dust around me.

I stared up at the cliff as the dust settled. I stretched huge square of stone from the wall using alchemy. It stuck out of the cliff unnaturally and very noticeable.

I couldn't hear anything... "Did I miss Dovepaw? Or did my alchemy kill her?!" My heart started pounding at that thought.

"SHIT!" I scrambled up to my paws and frantically ran around the stone slab above me. I craned my neck and stood on my hind legs, trying to see Dovepaw.

"Its too high!" I hissed in frustration.

I leaped as high as I could and barely caught the ledge with my claws. I tried to haul myself up and eventually succeeded. I braced myself for the worst and dared to look.

My heart stopped when I saw Dovepaw's body lying motionless on the rock. she was facing away from me so I couldn't see her face.

"No... Please... She can't be!" I gasped.

I suddenly noticed the rapid rise and fall of the fluffy apprentice's chest. I grew weak from relief, my legs nearly collapsing under me.

I frantically scrambled around the grey cat so I could face her. Dovepaw was crouched close to the stone and trembling uncontrollably. Her breathing was rapid and short, but it didn't seem to be from any injuries.

Dovepaw's eyes were wide in fear but they weren't focused on anything at all. They seemed to be staring at some unseen terror as if she was still watching herself fall.

"D-Dovepaw! Thank goodness your okay!" I gasped, collapsing in front of her.

Dovepaw didn't respond. Her body continued to tremble but her eyes focused on me. They were still full of terror, swirling blue pools of fear and shock.

"What's wrong? Come on, speak to me..." I spoke gently to the grey cat but she still didn't respond.

If Dovepaw was in shock she wouldn't be able to move anything at all, but she moved her eyes. She must be in some sort of mental shock. That would explain why she wouldn't respond to anything.

Dovepaw's wide blue eyes stared unblinking into mine. I could tell that she was still stuck in panic mode from the fall, but something else was scaring her. She seemed to be afraid of me... Her gaze followed my eye movements constantly, never looking away.

Dovepaw's rapid breathing was getting quicker and shorter with each minute.

"Which herb did Jayfeather say was for shock?" I thought quickly.

I jumped off the stone and frantically searched the nearby bushes for the right herb. Nothing, it wasn't here. I began to panic, searching the plants again.

There, Chamomile! A patch of the white daisy-like flowers nodded in the cool night breeze. I immediately snapped one flower off and rushed back to Dovepaw.

The poor pale grey cat was still trembling and heaving rapid breaths.

"Come on, we need to get to solid ground. I don't know how stable this thing is." I said aloud, mostly to myself.

I wriggled under Dovepaw's belly and lifted her up onto my back. I felt her tense but she didn't struggle. I leaped down to the forest floor, careful not to drop Dovepaw. I set the young cat in the grass as gently as I could. I don't know if she has any injuries yet and it would be a disaster if I moved a broken limb while she's in shock.

I delicately picked a few white petals from the flower with my claws. I kept tearing them over and over. How did jayfeather do this so efficiently and make it look easy at the same time!

I brought four tiny petals over to where Dovepaw was lying in the grass. She ate them instinctively when I placed then near her mouth.

After a while, Dovepaw's breathing slowed and her heart rate started to return to normal. She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep. Dovepaw still shivered, but this time from cold. I moved closer to the grey apprentice and draped my fluffy tail over her.

"I hope you'll be okay..." I sighed.

I lifted my head to the moon and the stars. Their bright whiteness shined down upon the forest, shedding gentle light for the night-dwelling creatures.

I looked down at Dovepaw and sighed, "I'll have to tell her. There's no other way... I promised I wouldn't keep secrets from Dovepaw, and I guess a late start is better than no start at all."

I chuckled, "I guess were stuck sit here for the time being. Damn... We will be in SO much trouble when we return to camp." I laughed aloud.

Author's note:  
(Jeez! ANOTHER long, cheesy, and sorta-pointless chapter! Well, this one actually was really important but I could have made it shorter. The plot in this chapter isn't very creative, it's just like what happened to Ed when the earthquake hit. But I DID need to find a reason for Ed to tell Dovepaw his secret. And this is what I came up with... Okai?... Okay. :P)


	29. Chapter 28

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~squiggles~~~~~~~~~~

(Okay, peeps. I've got a little note here before this chapter starts.  
I am going to try and write in 3rd person instead of 1st. 3rd person writing can allow an author to use more detail and widen perspective. But in 1st person writing, the use of "me" and "I" can really limit your word choice.)

(But here's the thing, I tend to accidentally switch between POV while writing. So don't mind if I throw a few "I"s in there, okay? Now on with the story!)

(Ps: this chapter will be in 1st person again because of the subject, emotion-ishy stuff. Okai? o3o)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles o3o~~~~~~~~

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 28: Shattered Secrets

POV: Edward

"Why isn't she waking up?!"

Dovepaw was unmoving at my golden paws. She was cold, only shivers showed that she was still conscious.

"Come on Dovepaw! Your stronger than this! I know you are..." I begged.

I curled my body around Dovepaw's to try and warm her up. It was exceptionally chilly tonight, which was unusual since it was the middle of greenleaf!

I should probably take her to the Thunderclan camp... But I can't risk moving Dovepaw's body any more than I already have. She might have an injury like a broken leg, moving her would do more bad than good.

At least the fact that she's sleeping is good... She wouldn't respond to anything I said before I gave her that chamomile. And now Dovepaw is showing signs of feeling. But that feeling is reaction to cold... And that's not exactly a good thing.

A mumble came from the sleeping mass of grey fur beside me. I jumped to my paws and looked down at Dovepaw with hope sparkling in my eyes. She was stirring from her sleep!

The fluffy she-cat slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head.

"Wha... Where am I?" she murmured.

"it's okay... I'm here, your safe." I purred.

Dovepaw looked up at me and yawned. "Oh... Hi Metalpaw... I had the weirdest dream... I was falling, and you saved me with some sort of magic." she meowed.

I shuffled my paws nervously but said nothing.

"Sounds ridiculous, huh?" She laughed. Dovepaw looked around, her eyes showing her confusion.

"Why am I in the forest? And wh-..." She stopped speaking, her gaze rested on the cliff she fell from.

Dovepaw's confusion was quickly replaced with surprise and a trace of fear when she noticed the unnatural slab of stone protruding from it.

"I... I wasn't dreaming... Was I?" Dovepaw whispered.

I slowly shook my head. "No..."

Dovepaw stared at me with her intense blue gaze. "W-What... ARE you?" she squeaked.

I looked at the ground in shame. "A freak... A monster... I don't really know." I murmured.

So I explained everything. Well... Mostly everything. I left out the part about being a human... Sorta. I'm pretty sure that Dovepaw could guess that I wasn't really a cat, or at least not an ordinary one.

I didn't want to tell Dovepaw about my mother and Al, but she ended up hearing that too. I tried to tell it in a way a cat could understand.

I explained what alchemy was and somewhat how it works. I explained how terrible and regretful my decision was with human transmutation and how it affected me and Al.

I ended up telling her everything. Every stinging memory about my past flooded back to me. Every single painful memory.

When I was finally done, Dovepaw had to literally hold me on my paws. My body shook with all the wrenching feelings that came with the memories.

Dovepaw didn't say a word throughout the explanation. I guess she was so suddenly bombarded by what she was just told that she didn't really feel anything. She just stared unblinking into the forest and listened.

"I told myself that I wouldn't hide secrets from you. But I kept this one for far too long. I can only beg you to forgive me." I whispered.

Dovepaw continued to stare blankly into the forest.

"I would understand if you hated me... Do you?" I said, desperate for an answer.

Dovepaw turned and gazed up at me. I couldn't read her expression, was she mad? My heart beat rapidly in fear of her response.

"No... I don't hate you." Dovepaw finally said after a few moments. I nearly fell over in relief.

"I knew there was something odd about you, I just couldn't figure it out. This... Alchemy... Must be very powerful. I can only imagine what destruction it could cause." She sighed.

"So you do think I'm a monster..." I whimpered. My ears and tail drooped in shame.

"No... Metalpaw, you are not a monster, you are a good cat. No matter what happens, I will never hate you." Dovepaw meowed and nuzzled me with her head.

"Y-You won't?" I said in surprise. I was nearly choked with purrs of relief and happiness.

"Now, let's get to camp. I'm sure the clan is worried about us." Dovepaw meowed.

She got up and started running towards the stone hollow.

"That went better than I expected... I just hope she keeps it a secret. But I should tell Firestar, shouldn't I?" I thought before following Dovepaw into the forest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~time passin' o3o~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the night passed rather uneventful. The clan was so exhausted after the gathering that everybody went to their dens to sleep without noticing the two missing apprentices.

Metalpaw and Dovepaw snuck back into camp long after moonhigh. The only cat who was wondering where they were was Ivypaw, Dovepaw's sister. But they merely exchanged a look and Ivypaw nodded. She must have sensed her sister's situation and decided not to ask about it.

With that, the three apprentices settled into their nests too sleep. Dovepaw and Metalpaw slept closer together that night than before... It might be the unusually chilly air. or it could be the fact that Metalpaw's biggest secret was broken, bringing them closer mentally.

Author's note:  
(OKAI! I guess I AM pairing Ed and Dovepaw... But it was an accident! I swear! :I but... It might work out better this way. And it might add some drama in the end... Muahahaaaa! :D)

also, that's all i have written so far. It will be a while before i update. but i promise, i will NOT discontinue this story! all other fma/wariors are discontinued but i will not follow the same path! ;P


	30. Chapter 29

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 29: Back to Normal (Ish) Routine

POV: 3rd

Metalpaw and Dovepaw awoke to bright sunlight streaming through the den roof.

"W-Wha? What time is it?!" Metalpaw yelped and scrambled to his paws. Dovepaw quickly followed the golden cat out of the den.

The two cats walked out into the sunlight. Thunderclan was busy with morning routines already. The sun was halfway to sunhigh! Metalpaw spotted his mentor and ran over to talk to her.

"Icecloud, we overslept! I'm sorry." Metalpaw apologized.

Icecloud turned around to face the two apprentices. "Don't be sorry. Lionblaze and I thought that you might need the extra sleep." She said.

"really? Well, thanks I guess..." Metalpaw muttered.

"Well, make yourselves useful and go out hunting, okay?" Icecloud commanded.

"Yes ma'm!" Dovepaw and Metalpaw said in unison, scampering out of the camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~squigglies o3o~~~~~~~~~~~  
(squiggles mean time passing, BTW)

Dovepaw took the lead as the two apprentices went out hunting. They headed closer to the Shadowclan border in hopes of catching some squirrels that were growing fat on the pine nuts at this time of year.

"So, Ed..." Dovepaw said causally. "What exactly happened last night..."

Metalpaw ducked his head, "Oh... Um..." he stammered.

"Come on, Metalpaw! You didn't think I would forget that whole ordeal, did you?" Dovepaw meowed in annoyance.

"I... I already explained that didn't I?" Metalpaw mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Dovepaw.

She shook her head and stopped walking. Dovepaw padded up to Metalpaw and faced him. He shuffled his paws nervously as she gazed at him with her piercing blue eyes.

"what more do you want?!" Metalpaw yowled.

"Your not fooling anybody, Edward, especially me." Dovepaw stated.

"Who ARE you? Where did you really come from? You can't be a normal cat, no other cat in all the history of the clans has preformed anything close to what you did last night."

She slowly circled the golden apprentice. For a fluffy grey kitty, she was quite intimidating. Dovepaw reminded Ed somewhat of Winry!

Metalpaw shrank down at his friend's questioning gaze and gave a quiet whimper. "B-But..." he murmured.

"And what about that military? I've never heard of anything like it! Sure, it sounds like a noble way of life sortal like a clan, but I don't think your telling me everything." Dovepaw continued before Ed could say anything more.

"I... I..." Metalpaw whimpered.

"Also, what exactly is alchemy? I mean, it seems like magic to me! Something that not even Starclan can do!" The grey cat rambled on.

Suddenly, Dovepaw stopped talking and stood still. She was tense and had an expression of grim realization and excitement.

"Something Starclan can't do..." She whispered.

Dovepaw abruptly turned around and faced Edward. He flinched and shrank back away from the apprentice in surprise. Dovepaw's eyes were ablaze with excitement, but also a trace of caution was mixed in.

"That's it!" She exclaimed. "You may be one of the thr-"

Dovepaw's ears suddenly shot up, her nose twitched as she scented something. Her excitement was replaced by worry and some fear.

"Someone has been following us. They have been listening this whole time!" Dovepaw hissed.

Metalpaw's ears perked up and he scented the air, but couldn't catch a whiff or sound of anything. Only some stale Thunderclan smell from the dawn patrol.

Dovepaw dragged him to the ground and pointed at a clump of bushes with her tail. "They are in there!" she whispered.

"Who is it?" Metalpaw asked. "Wait, she cant know that. They are too well hidden, it's a wonder how Dovepaw sensed them at all!" he thought. Ed realized his mistake and was about to correct himself.

"I can't tell, lemme check." Dovepaw replied before Metalpaw could take back his foolish question.

His ears perked up, "wait... What?" he hissed. "How can you know?" Metalpaw demanded.

Dovepaw shushed the golden cat and swiveled her ears around and took a deep breath to scent the air.

The grey cat's muscles relaxed a tiny bit and she sat down. "It's Firestar." she murmured warily.

Dovepaw looked at Metalpaw and saw his surprise and confused face. She herself was confused for a few moments before she realized her mistake.

"Oh... Yeah... I'm not exactly normal either..." Dovepaw meowed.

"Metalpaw." Boomed a sudden voice, cutting off Dovepaw's words. "what's this I hear about magic?"

Both apprentices whipped around and looked up slowly. Firestar loomed over them with a questioning gaze. Metalpaw and Dovepaw looked at each other nervously.

Metalpaw took a deep breath and faced his leader. Dovepaw hissed and tugged at his tail. He turned his head to look at her. Metalpaw didn't seem worried. In fact, he seemed to be happy with the situation.

Slowly, Dovepaw released Ed's tail. She nodded at him in understanding, but she was still nervous.

"Firestar, sir... I haven't been completely honest with you guys..." Metalpaw started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squigglies o3o~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Metalpaw repeated what he told Dovepaw yesterday to Firestar, he stopped and waited for the reply.

Metalpaw braced himself for the rejection. Firestar was going to kick him out of the clan, Metalpaw was sure of it.

"Edward." Firestar said quietly.

Metalpaw looks up at the ginger cat in surprise. That was the first time Firestar called him by his real name since he joined the clan!

"Y-Yes?" Metalpaw said nervously. Was Firestar calling him Edward because he didn't think of him as a clan cat anymore?

"There's something your not telling us." Firestar said plainly.

"W-What?" Metalpaw mumbled. "Bu... But.."

"If you don't want to tell us, it's fine. But I want to know." Firestar asked again.

Metalpaw sighed in defeat and let his tail drop to the ground.

"Your right... I'm not telling the complete truth..." He murmured, casting his gaze down to his golden paws.

"I... I'm... A two-..." Metalpaw whispered but stopped talking. "N-Never mind..."

Dovepaw looked disappointed and Firestar gazed down at the golden apprentice with questioning eyes.

"It's... Not important right now... What's important is the safety of the clan... My clan... My home." the apprentice murmured, looking away from his friends' gazes.

Firestar heaved a sigh. "We understand. After all, we haven't been completely honest with you either..." he said sadly.

"What?" Metalpaw meowed in surprise.

Firestar sighed and both his and Dovepaw's eyes held shame and understanding.

"You see, Metalpaw, before you showed up in our territory, Starclan spoke to me in a dream. They said 'Only the one with paws of stone can mend the earth before it swallows the clans.'"

Metalpaw gasped, that was what that Bluestar said to him too!

"I had my suspicions that 'the cat with stone paws' was you. But we weren't sure, so we never told you..." Firestar said.

"Wait... We? Who's we?" Metalpaw meowed in confusion.

Without answering Metalpaw's question, Firestar turned to Dovepaw. "Can you tell me where Lionblaze and Jayfeather?" he asked her.

Dovepaw closed her eyes and concentrated. Her whiskers twitched and her ears moved around as if she was trying to pinpoint prey.

"Lionblaze is on patrol bear here and Jayfeather is tending to his herb garden." Dovepaw said and opened her eyes.

Metalpaw stared at her in confusion. "How... Can... What?" he stammered.

Firestar flicked his tail to silence the yellow apprentice. "Dovepaw, can you go and fetch them for me? I think it's about time we told him the truth..." He said cryptically.

"The... Truth?" Metalpaw whispered, eyes widening in sudden terror.


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: The chain of secrets

* * *

POV: Dovepaw

"Could you go fetch them for me? I think it's time we told the truth." Firestar commanded.

I obeyed and sprang into the bushes. My fluffy grey fur rippled in the breeze as I ran towards Lionblaze's patrol.

I was actually relieved that the secrets were weakening. Not only between me and Metalpaw, but between The Three (including me), Firestar and him.

I swiveled my ears forward. I could hear Lionblaze ahead in the brush.

"...Shadowclan border's all secure! Time to head back into camp!" Lionblaze's muffled voice said.

I jumped over a clump of brambles and landed beside the Shadowclan border. I saw my mentor standing farther away with his patrol.

"Lionblaze! The river's surface has been rippled!" I called out to him.

This was code for "Our secret is broken, We're screwd." (Jk :3)

Upon hearing my words, the golden warrior's eyes widened and immediately began to trot over to me at a brisk pace.

"I'll catch up with you guys later! Go ahead and return to camp without me!" Lionblaze shouted over his shoulder at the patrol he just left behind.

Brambleclaw, who was part of the patrol, waved his tail in farewell as he lead the two remaining patrol cats away towards the camp.

"Okay. Where are they? Metalpaw and Firestar?" Lionblaze demanded when he caught up.

I stared at him with a bewildered expression. "How did you know it was them?" I asked.

"I have been expecting this for quite some time..." he answered plainly. "Which way?"

I pointed in Firestar's direction with my tail. Lionblaze grunted and jumped into the bushes.

"I gotta go find Jayfeather!" I called after him.

I sprang away towards the opposite direction to find Jayfeather's herb garden.

I soon found the old abandoned twoleg den and approached the cold stone structure.

"Jayfeather? JAYFEATHER?!" I shouted into the rows of sharp-smelling plants.

A loud rustle sounded and Jayfeather pushed his way between some yew bushes. He had a leaf wrap in his jaws and an annoyed look in his sightless blue eyes.

"Waddya want?" He grumbled around the mouthful of plants.

"Firestar wants to tell him the truth..." I murmured.

Jayfeather immediately dropped his leaf bundle and started to run towards Firestar.

"Wait! It's faster this way!" I called, catching up and guiding the blind cat. For once, he allowed me to guide him!

"Once we arrive, Firestar will explain everything..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~ SQUIGGLES! ~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: 3rd

Metalpaw's eyes widened in fear when Firestar said those words.

The truth? What were they keeping from me? Please don't let it be anything like what I've been through before...

The golden apprentice merely stared at his leader in suspicion and fear. Firestar stared back at him in confusion.

"What is the matter, young one?" Firestar asked, his voice calm and quiet.

Metalpaw's legs continued to shake as he answered, "Please tell me your not working with the homunculi... But they are all gone.. So what could you be?!"

Firestar's gaze softened. He padded up to the golden warrior and sat next to him. Metalpaw flinched and started to tremble even more but did not pull away. Maybe it was out of fear, or out of the respect the young cat still held for his leader, but Ed stayed still.

Firestar wrapped his long, silky tail around Edward, who continued to tremble without making eye contact. The flame-colored cat reached around Ed's shoulder with his paw. Edward flinched again when it made contact with his foreleg.

He could feel those claws... Those deadly hooks that happened to be inches away from his throat...

Firestar smiled and pulled Edward into a quick hug. A little squeeze and then he let go. Metalpaw looked up at his leader with a bewildered expression.

The flame-colored tom smiled again. "My dear Metalpaw. I thought we went through this already! No matter what, you can trust us. I would never betray you. And whenever you need it, we will be there to help." Firestar said, his voice ringing with wisdom.

Metalpaw sighed and relaxed. "Sorry..." he said. "I'm a wreck, aren't I? Questioning the trust of my own leader... I guess these past few years have taken its toll on my mind..." he murmured sadly.

Firestar's eyes filled with sympathy and a bit of curiosity. "I suspected that you've had a rough past, but it seems to have been worse than I first thought... You can tell me, I won't tell anyone unless you say so."

Metalpaw took a deep breath. The look of fear was still in his eyes. But he wasn't afraid of Firestar, he was afraid of the memories...

"I honestly don't know where to begin... I guess I'll explain what alchemy is, somehow." The golden cat muttered, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Well... Alchemy isn't magic like Dovepaw said, It's science, a very powerful science. You must understand the makeup of matter and break it down to it's basic elements or atoms. Then you reconstruct it as something else of equal value. It is quite handy, but can be used for destruction..." Metalpaw trailed off. He turned his head and looked into the trees, his eyes full of sadness and regret.

"Go on..." Firestar said, placing his tail on the apprentice's shoulder.

"That's the basics of alchemy. My life has been built on it's rules of equivalent exchange. I tried to break that one rule when I was young, and it cost me dearly..." Metalpaw sighed, placing his flesh paw on his metal arm. The hurt and regret in his eyes darkened even more as he recalled a terrible memory.

Edward shook his head to clear it of the stinging images and sighed again.

"It's okay, Metalpaw. You don't have to tell me more." Firestar said. His eyes were frozen to the apprentice's metal limb. '_So... He lost his legs because of this alchemy?_' Firestar thought, shuddering at the possibilities it could do.

Metalpaw slowly nodded, releasing his metal foreleg from his claws.

A rustle sounded behind the two cats. Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Dovepaw squeezed past a bush and sat down.

"Here they are!" The fluffy young cat announced.

Firestar straightened up. "Then let us begin..."

'_this is going to be fun..._.' Metalpaw thought sarcastically.

* * *

sorry for the long wait, i hurried through this chapter so i could post it for you! i had a bit of writer's block... and laziness


	32. Chapter 31

(Sorry guys! I haven't been able to update for a while. I was gone for a week in Juneau Alaska for MusicFest 2013. At least I was able to write a whole bunch to make up for my absence while I was there! Enjoy!)

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 31: The Three

POV: 3rd

Metalpaw sat and stared at the four cats that stood in front of him, his mouth agape.

"Wait... So you can read minds... And you can become invincible..." The golden apprentice stammered. He then turned toward his best friend, "And you can see and hear things all over this forest..."

The cats nodded. Metalpaw started to say something, but it caught in his throat and only came out as gibberish.

"Wait..." Dovepaw suddenly said. Everyone turned to look at her. She seemed just as confused as Metalpaw. "So... He's not one of us? The three?" She asked.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather stared at Dovepaw in bewilderment. "Of course not! There's already Three! Us! There isn't a fourth cat!" They meowed in unison.

"But we don't know that! The prophesy doesn't come from Starclan and we don't know much about it anyways!" She argued.

Jayfeather stood up and faced her, his blind eyes blazing. "He couldn't be one of the three! He isn't related to Firestar!" he hissed.

Lionblaze raised his tail to silence his brother's anger. His gaze softened, "You don't really think that, do you? You just want someone else to share it with. A friend to help carry the burden..." Lionblaze said softly.

Dovepaw stared at her paws. "Yeah..."

Metalpaw looked at his best friend, eyes filled with sympathy and understanding. He knew how it felt to carry an unbearable burden alone. But she has Lionblaze, Ivypaw, Jayfeather, and Firestar to help hold that burden. I only had Alphonse... I need to see him! I need to get back to Amestris!

"Well... This still doesn't answer my question, what the heck am I supposed to do!?" Metalpaw growled.

Firestar shook his head, "We don't know. But I have a feeling that Starclan will help us along the way." He said.

"I guess so..." Metalpaw sighed in frustration.

Firestar smiled and placed a paw on the golden apprentice's shoulder reassuringly.

"Metalpaw, we-" He said. But something interrupted him.

The ground beneath their paws started to shake. They all could feel it, Dovepaw most of all.

The tremor passed moments after it started. It was a very tiny earthquake, but it brought a message of death and destruction.

Metalpaw's eyes widened in fear and looked up at his leader. "It's coming... The big one, it will be here soon..." he whimpered.

(That was a VERY short chapter. I apologize)


	33. Chapter 32

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 32: Troubles

POV: 3rd

It has been two weeks since the first tremor. The clan didn't panic when it happened, everyone just evacuated like they practiced.

But now small tremors were common, a terrible sign of the approaching monster in the earth. Firestar still holds firm with evacuations, even at the slightest shaking, the clan was to get to open ground.

The tremors haven't caused much damage yet, only a few loose rocks tumbling from the pile if boulders leading up to Firestar's den.

Metalpaw was injured during one such incident. He was simply walking over to the medicine den to get a thorn from his paw when a small tremor hit. Luckily, it was a small rock that had tumbled down on him, only causing some bruises. But nevertheless, Ed had to miss the gathering that went on that day. He was pissed.

Metalpaw didn't miss anything important, just more information about the earthquake being passed on to the other leaders.

With how frequent the shaking had steadily become, Metalpaw created a certain date when the big quake would hit. He calculated that it may hit within the next week or so, give or take a few days. Math wasn't his best subject, okay?

The threat was growing, Metalpaw could feel it. But everything wasn't that great in other subjects either. Windclan has been complaining about the lack of rabbits around their hunting grounds. They even blamed Thunderclan for their loss of prey. After all, the rabbits seemed to move into the denser part of the forest for cover in fear of the constant shaking.

Firestar fears that the Clan's patience is running low from the stress of the earthquake. But the faithful leader holds strong, even offering some hunting rights to a portion of the forest for the Windclan cats to use. But of course Onestar refused, he didn't want to admit to weakness.

Even in the present time (where Metalpaw is sitting on a hill overlooking the Windclan territory thinking about all this :3), Thunderclan's fading friendship with Windclan continues to weaken, threatening to snap at any second.

Metalpaw heaved a deep sigh as he thought about these issues. 'Why did Windclan have to be so difficult? And why does his only friend outside of his own clan happen to live with them?' The golden apprentice shuddered, hoping that Emberfoot was faring well against the prey shortage.

"Metalpaw..." A feminine voice called.

Ed turned around to see his mentor, Icecloud, walking towards him. "Hey..." he sighed in response.

The white cat sat beside her apprentice and looked over the rolling hills that stretched in front of them. "Don't worry. Firestar has never let us down, he always avoids fighting whenever possible." She said.

Metalpaw sighed again in frustration. "I know. But the odds are against us, Onestar is prepping for battle, I know it."

Icecloud looked at her apprentice sadly. "He's just scared. The clans have never experienced this before, therefore are unsure what to do. Onestar is a proud cat, he would never admit to weakness. And now this new threat is making him feel even more protective of his clan. To make matters worse, he must rely on an apprentice from another clan for any information about the earthquake." She explained.

Metalpaw nodded his head in understanding. He stood up and started to walk back to the clan camp.

Icecloud winced when she noticed the condition of her apprentice. He was skinnier and looked tired. His eyes were a dull color as if they had been clouded by stress. The sad appearance of the once-lively young cat made Icecloud's heart ache terribly.

'Putting up with this is taking it's toll...' She thought sadly as she followed the golden cat. 'Even though he's strong, Metalpaw was still a very young cat to go through this much stress...'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squigglies~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on Ed! You have to eat more!" Dovepaw fussed over a very tired-looking Metalpaw.

"What more do you want?! I already had two mice!" He snapped back at her.

Dovepaw rolled her eyes, "But you look so skinny! Just... Never mind... Why do I even bother..." she sighed, padding away in sadness.

Metalpaw felt a stab of pain in his heart. "Dovepaw..." he murmured.

She turned her head to look at her friend. "J-Just be careful, okay?" She whispered.

Metalpaw nodded besides his confused look. 'careful? Be careful with what?' He was about to ask when Firestar interrupted.

"Metalpaw, I need to speak with you."

Ed glared at his leader. "Can't you find someone else to badger about this?" He snapped. But Metalpaw quickly realized his mistake. "Sorry... I've had an off day today..." he apologized.

Firestar laid his tail over the apprentice's shoulder. "No, you're fine. I just needed to talk to you about Windclan. I asked Dovepaw to check on them, and she heard Onestar planning an attack on Thunderclan."

Metalpaw's strange golden eyes widened in shock. Those eyes always fascinated Firestar, the shade of yellow was unlike anything he had ever seen. Their gaze burned into your heart and either warmed it, or caused pain or sadness. Right now, it was the sadness.

"No... Not now, why now?! The quake could hit any day now! I don't know why I'm surprised, it's just my luck that Windclan would do this at this time instead of any other!" Metalpaw spat bitterly.

"It's alright Metalpaw, we will get through this." Firestar assured him, placing a paw on his shoulder.

The golden apprentice shrugged off the leader's paw. "Tch, sure." He said irritably as he walked away.

"I'm sorry, Metalpaw." Firestar sighed, sadness edging his mew.

~~~~~Squiggles of short-chapterness~~~~~

(sorry about all the short chappies. :I the story is nearing it's end and I'm having a hard time getting the present issues and actions to match up with what I have planned for the end. Like the whole attacking Windclan thing. Windclan wasn't showing any signs of aggression before but they needed to in order to do the ending I have floating around in my mind like a plot bunny.)  
-SapphireClaw


	34. Chapter 33

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 33: The Battle

POV: 3rd

"Firestar." Dovepaw called softly into the gloom of the cave.

A snort could be heard, followed by scrambling paws. Firestar appeared at the entrance and smiled at the young cat. "Dovepaw! Is there something you need?"

The fluffy cat shook her head. "I need to talk to you. It's about Windclan..."

Firestar's expression became serious. "Come in, but be quiet, Sandstorm is sleeping."

The two cats padded into the deepest part of the den to speak. "What is it?"

"I heard Onestar say that they were going to invade tomorrow. He seems to believe that we have something to do with the earthquakes and their missing prey." Dovepaw mewed urgently.

"That is troublesome... But I guess we have no choice... If Windclan is looking for a fight, consider it done." Firestar said grimly.

(sorry, I made Firestar sound different from his real personality)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...And not one cat is to be killed or injured too severely if it comes to a fight, got that?" Firestar finished talking to the clan that was gathered below the ledge he stood upon.

Murmurs of agreement rippled throughout the cats. Firestar nodded, "right. Keep a sharp eye out for any activity."

The cats began to walk away. Most looked troubled about the news of the attack, but others looked excited. It really bothered Ed that some cats seemed to WANT the battle. He was worried about Emberfoot too. Ed didn't want to fight his friend. But he was loyal to his clan and will if he needs too.

"I just hope things will be all right..."

Oh those famous last words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Firestar!"

All of the clan cats lifted their heads from their prey. Brambleclaw came skidding into the camp, his fur standing on end.

Firestar leapt to his paws, "What is it?!"

"Windclan cats have been spotted! A huge group of then heading for the border!" the deputy panted.

"What?! How many!" Firestar hissed.

"I didn't count them, but it was far too many for a hunting party!" Brambleclaw replied.

Firestar growled something inaudible before turning to his clan. "Brambleclaw, Sandstorm, Ivypaw, Dovepaw, Lionblaze, Icecloud, Metalpaw! Come with me! The rest of you who are fit to fight, form a group and follow us!" he yowled. The cats obeyed immediately and trailed after their leader.

Dovepaw came scampering up to Metalpaw. "Ed... What are we gonna do? Windclan is angry about the earthquake!" She whispered to her friend.

"I don't know, all we can do now is be brave and fight for our clan." Metalpaw responded.

The mass of cats ran out of the camp, swiftly approaching the Windclan border. It soon came into sight, along with the group of Windclan cats marching across the scent line.

"So they are invading!" Firestar growled, running faster.

"ONESTAR!" The ginger leader yowled.

The Windclan cats stood in formation, their leader standing in front. He bared his teeth at Firestar, "The gig is up!" he snarled. "We are taking back our prey!"

Firestar glared down at the brown cat from where he stood atop a hill. "What gig?!" He demanded.

Onestar smirked, "There is something fishy going on! We suspected a Thunderclan cat was behind these quakes for a while now! And we are here to put a stop to it!"

"WHAT?!" Firestar screeched. "You blame Thunderclan for this disaster! Have you seen the damage this has done to our camp!"

"Don't lie to me! Why is it that only you can tell us about them? Why is it that each clan is suffering while Thunderclan is doing just fine!? And why is it that the shaking started only after that little apprentice of yours showed up?!" Onestar spat.

Firestar looked horrified. "You are really going to believe that all of this is Metalpaw's fault?! We have been suffering losses just as bad as you have! How dare you blame Thunderclan!" he snarled.

"Windclan will be the ones to stop you from destroying the other clans! ATTACK!" Onestar yowled.

With that, both clans advanced upon each other, the battle began.

~~~~~~~~Squiggles of POV change~~~~~~~~

POV: Edward/Metalpaw

The cats sprinted up the hill towards us. A growl rose in my throat. 'They can't be serious! I don't care if they are just stressing out about the quake, that's just plain arrogant!" I charged into the fight head-first with a battle cry.

Immediately, a big brown tom tried to swipe at me. I dodged and slammed my metal shoulder into him. He staggered backwards, the breath knocked out of him momentarily. I took this chance to rake my claws down his side. The brown cat yowled in pain and fled the fight. I snorted in disappointment at the easy victory.

"Why you little..." Growled a voice behind me.

I spun around, anger flaring in my eyes. "DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!" I screeched, leaping onto the cat.

The she-cat yowled in surprise as I attached myself to her back. She hissed and tried to get me off, but I dug my claws deeper into her fur.

I pummeled her ears with my paws and bit at her shoulders. The cat screeched and tried slamming me into a tree, but I leaped up onto the lowest branch before I struck. She ended up hitting herself against the tree. The cat hissed in frustration and bounded away to fight someone else.

I scanned the clearing from my perch, searching for anyone who needed help. I spotted Dovepaw struggling against a big black-furred apprentice. Anger rose in my head and I leaped down to help my friend.

I landed squarely on the enemy's shoulders, making him fall flat on his belly. Dovepaw stared at me in surprise and amusement. I smiled at her, still standing on the cat.

I gasped and fell over, the black apprentice struggled under me. He sprang to his paws and faced me, eyes filled with fury. He took a step towards me, but something stopped him. Dovepaw had bit onto his tail and was dragging the cat away from me.

"Thanks!" I breathed.

She nodded and together, we beat the cat back. He hissed and fled into the bushes.

One after another, me and Dovepaw sent Windclan cats fleeing with their tails between their legs. We were an excellent team, not one cat could defeat us.

The battle raged on, loud growling and hissing could be heard all around. I was grappling with a cream-colored cat while Dovepaw clawed at a smaller grey one. The two cats fled after a few more scratches.

"Who's next!" I snarled.

A twig snapped behind me, I spun around to take the challenge. But I stopped short when I came face-to-face with Emberfoot.

"E-Emberfoot?" I stammered.

He stared at me with wide green eyes. The brown cat looked terrible! He had a cut above his eye, trickling blood into it. Patches of fur were missing from his side and a long scratch stretched along his shoulder.

"Metalpaw?" he panted. He looked at me in fear, noticing the blood on my claws. His eyes pleaded with me. I gave him a tiny nod. His eyes filled with relief and he bounded away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now I was fighting a big brown and black tom. He was fighting viscously, battering my body with his massive paws. His plan was unclear until he managed to shove me into the crowd, Away from Dovepaw. He wanted to separate us!

I was loosing energy but kept up the fight. I was being bumped around by the bodies that swarmed around me. The black and brown cat bared his teeth at me.

"We know its you, you puny kit. YOU are the one making the earth shake! YOU are the one trying to destroy the clans! Well I won't let you! I'm going to end this once and for all!" the big cat snarled.

He leaped at me, smiling wickedly. I gasped as his body slammed into mine and I was sent flying. My body struck a tree that knocked the breath from my lungs.

I groaned and looked up from where I laid. The cat was advancing on me with a grin on his face. He placed his huge paw on my chest, making me wince.

My mind whirled, "He is going to kill me! But he's a warrior! It's against the code! But he doesn't consider me a clan cat, he thinks I'm trying to destroy the clans! Think, Edward, THINK!"

"NO!" Snarled a higher-pitched voice.

A sudden streak of brown flew by and the weight of the cat was gone. I watched in disbelief as Emberfoot tackled the big tom off of me.

"Emberfoot! You traitor! He's the enemy!" The cat snarled.

"No, Muddytail, Metalpaw is innocent! How could you possibly blame him?! And I saw you, you were going to kill him! That was a death blow you were about to use! Would you kill an apprentice!?" Emberfoot hissed.

Muddytail growled and heaved Emberfoot off. The brown cat yelped as he toppled to the ground.

Muddytail turned on his clanmate, "Your a traitor! You're helping him aren't you? What, are you going to share the territories together once everyone is dead?" he sneered, raising a paw to swipe at the young warrior.

"You leave him alone, you BASTARD!" I snarled, leaping at the cat despite the pain.

I wrestled Muddytail to the ground and pinned him there. I then turned to my friend, "Emberfoot! Run! Get out of here!" I yowled. The brown cat nodded and tried to scramble away.

Muddytail hissed and clawed under my weight. I swiftly scratched his cheek, causing blood to seep into his fur. The cat yowled and shoved me off. He turned tail and ran away.

Suddenly, a massive booming CRACK! snapped through the air. The once-steady ground under my paws violently bucked and shifted.

My eyes widened in fear, 'No! NO! now?! It's too soon! The quake is supposed to arrive five days from now! Why NOW?!'

"THE EARTHQUAKE!" I screeched at the top of my lungs.

~~~~~~~~Squiggles of pointless interruption~~~~~~~~

The screeching and wailing of cats was overpowered by the rumbling that came from deep within the earth.

Another crack boomed, I turned around. I saw Muddytail disappear. A massive chasm snaked along the surface like a crack on an egg. It swallowed up all of the unfortunate cats that were in it's way.

Another wail sounded, I whipped around and widened my eyes in horror. Emberfoot was scrabbling at the edge of another deep crack, eyes massive and full of terror.

"NO!" I wailed. But Emberfoot was gone, swallowed up by the earth.

Wails echoed within the massive cracks as more cats fell prey to the destructive earthquake. A familiar voice screamed. My heart stopped in my chest.

Dovepaw...

I whirled around in time to see my beloved friend's paw griping the edge of a crack. I gasped and scrambled forward and grabbed her paw with my metal one.

"Metalpaw! Help!" She wailed, scrabbling at the vertical cliff wall with her back claws. The crack's bottom was hidden in the darkness deep within the earth.

"Hold on!" I cried.

The earth buckled violently around me. A big shift shook the stone, making the ground around me blur.

I felt Dovepaw's claws slip from my paw, followed by a screech that steadily drew farther and farther away. I stared down at the darkness in disbelief. I was so close...

I stood up and looked around as my head cleared. Cats were being swallowed up in the spreading cracks all around me.

"No..." I whimpered.

My eyes were suddenly filled with rage, "NOOOOOOO!" I shrieked.

I reared up onto my hind legs. My eyes burning with fury. Why am I fate's favorite thing to torture?!

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE ANYMORE LOVED ONES FROM ME!"

"RAAAAAAHHHH!" I screeched.

I slammed my front paws together and a blinding yellow light filled my vision...


	35. Chapter 34

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 34: Life and Death

Important!

*(this chapter will be very confusing and awesome. the point of view (POV)(Edward, Mustang, 3rd person, etc) will be changed quite a lot throughout the chapter and the whole setting will be switching between Amestris and the Forest. I will be using teh squiggles to show where it changes and stuff. But I think this will be an awesome chapter! :3)*

POV: Edward

Setting: Forest

The alchemy spread across the territories and into the other clans as one huge reaction. As the light blinded me, I could feel a numbness fill my being. It was slow at first, but then it grew rapidly. I was going unconscious.

No... This doesn't feel the same as unconsciousness. Was I... Dying?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: 3rd

Setting: Starclan

Bluestar opened her piercing blue eyes in alarm. The gloom of her den in Starclan offered little light.

"Is there something wrong, Bluestar?" called a sweet voice.

The old grey cat stood up and walked out of the den. A pretty tortoiseshell cat sat at the entrance, concern glittering in her eyes.

"Spottedleaf." Bluestar mewed grimly. The medicine cat pricked her ears.

"Yes?"

"Edward is in trouble. I'm afraid we must ask for help once again." Bluestar sighed. She looked at Spottedleaf with grim eyes.

"You don't mean?"

Bluestar nodded. "Let us hope he will accept." she meowed, looking up at the star-filled sky.

~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: Sol

Setting: Dream

"What do you want now?" I growled at the glittering blue cat before me.

"We ask for your help again. The boy is in danger. His soul could be lost forever." Bluestar said, a slight plead to her voice.

I snorted, "Oh? And why should I help you?"

Bluestar glared at me, "Because you caused far too much damage when you delivered him. You could at least make up for it." She hissed.

I flicked my tail. "Alright. Fine! I'll help the boy." I grumbled. I'm not a cruel cat, At least to some extent. But that boy had far too much to return to, I felt compelled to help him. It wasn't because of this wretched Starclan cat in front of me.

"Thank you, Sol." Bluestar purred before disappearing into the mist.

'here we go again...' I thought as a huge eye opened up below me. 'It was interesting to be a human anyway, so why not try it again?'

I held my breath as the black hands reached up and pulled me into the Gate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: 3rd

Setting: Forest

Dovepaw awoke with a groan. She pushed herself up to sit. "what happened? Am I dead?" she grumbled.

The fluffy apprentice blinked open her blue eyes. The forest was calm and still, the earthquake had passed. 'but... I was falling into a split in the earth! Where did those cracks go?' she wondered.

The damage had completely disappeared! Cats that she saw fall into the cracks herself were laying in the grass, unharmed. Some were sitting up whereas others were too injured to get up.

"What happened?" Dovepaw wondered again aloud.

She looked around again, and then spotted... Him.

Metalpaw's lifeless body was in the center of the clearing. It didn't move, it didn't stir, it didn't even breath.

"M-Metalpaw!" Dovepaw gasped as she struggled to crawl over to her friend.

She looked down at the golden-furred cat. His eyes were closed and his expression was calm. Dovepaw shakily reached down and lifted his limp head with her trembling paws.

"Metalpaw...?" She whispered. Dovepaw dragged the lifeless cat closer so she could wrap her forelegs around his body.

"Ed? Edward... W-Wake up..." Dovepaw whimpered, shaking the motionless cat in her paws. "Please..." she sobbed

Cats began to gather around, curious and sad.

A wail tore from the grieving apprentice's throat. "Edward... EDWARD! Don't leave me! You idiot, don't you dare!" She cried angrily.

The gathering cats' eyes became misted as they watched their clanmate grieve.

"Metalpaw..." Dovepaw's voice was barely audible. The young apprentice let out a sob and buried her face in her beloved friend's golden fur. His comforting warmth was fading fast. The brilliant sun-colored fur turned amber as it was soaked with Dovepaw's tears.

The Thunderclan cats called out a grieving cry into the air. The long sorrowful note resonated through the trees and to the other territories.

The two other clans answered the call with a grieving yowl of their own. The message was clear to them, Metalpaw had died to stop the earthquake.

*(this made me cry while I wrote it. I'm so evil! :F)*

~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~

WARNING! This part contains unhealthy doses of awesomeness, bad assness, and sadness angry Mustang is awesome, I love writing when there's a issed flame alchemist involved :3)

POV: 3rd

Setting: Amestris, military hospital

Mustang dragged his feet through the hospital hallway. His eyes were a dull color, nothing like the shimmering onyx they once were. He was simply 'checking on Edward's condition,' as Roy calls it (more accurately called being depressed and procrastinating). He was still holding onto the hope that Ed might wake up.

It has been three months since the incident and neither the military or Ed are getting any better. The paramedics have started to hint that maybe Mustang (since he's the closest thing to Ed's adult 'guardian.') should pull the plug and let Edward die. But of course both Roy and Al refuse to give up on him.

Mustang was supposed to be working, as usual, but found a way to avoid it. There have been reports of a scale 9.7 earthquake in the forest area south of central, the same area where Edward was attacked. This scale of earthquake is record-breaking, Thank goodness it was too far away for the quake to affect central. Mustang was supposed to do a report on the damage caused, but he decided to visit Edward instead.

As Roy neared Ed's room, he heard quiet noises coming from within. Mustang stopped walking and listened, Definitely someone there. But the nurses said that nobody else would be in the room, just Ed alone.

Roy grew more suspicious every second, but also hopeful that maybe Edward had awoken from the terrible coma he was forced to endure. Without waiting another second, Mustang quickly turned and kicked down the door.

Roy Mustang stared in disbelief and horror at what he saw. The mad that had done this to Edward, Sol himself, was in the room. He was standing over the boy with something in his hands. Looking at Ed, mustang saw that Sol had been drawing a transmutation circle on him. There was one on Ed's forehead and a nearly complete one on his chest.

"Wait... Uh... It's not what you think..." Sol stammered, just as surprised as Roy.

Roy's shock was suddenly replaced by rage. He made a dash for the murderer, swinging him away from Edward, slamming him against a wall and grabbed him by the neck. Roy cursed under his breath, wishing he had his gloves so he could torch this cruel man. Sol struggled against the Flame Alchemist's grip but to no avail.

"How dare you show your face here?!" Mustang snarled. "After all you've done, you are still trying to kill him?!"

Sol clawed at Roy's hand as it grew tighter around his throat. "N-No! I was trying to help!" He gasped.

"BULLSHIT!" Roy roared. "I am going to get rid of you once and for all!"

Sol's strange orange eyes widened in terror. "Stop! Please!"

Sol's pleas were ignored by Roy, his rage and hatred for the man drove his actions. Sol frantically searched for any means of escape. Then a look of determination entered his expression. He still had alchemy!

Sol raised his hand, transmutation circles were tattooed on the palm. Before Roy could react, Sol grabbed Mustang's tightening hand and transmuted. It wasn't a harmful attack, it only stunned the brain for a while.

Mustang let go of the man and stumbled backwards as his vision blurred. Sol took this chance and ran back to Edward's bedside. He added the last few symbols on the transmutation circle.

"No!" Roy roared, reaching for the man before he killed Edward.

"I'm sorry, Roy Mustang! Please understand, I'm trying to help!" Sol tried to explain again. But Mustang ignored it and lunged for the murderer again.

But before Roy could restrain the man, Sol touched Edward's forehead and transmuted. The orange light blinded them both as the reaction began.

"No! ED!" Mustang screeched. turning to Sol, he snarled, "You bastard!"

Sol sighed in relief and exhaustion. "Finally! I'm done! Now I can go home..."

"You aren't going anywhere!" Roy snarled, appearing from the light and slamming Sol against the wall again. The man gasped as his head cracked the concrete.

But there was a flash of red light and an eyeball opened underneath Sol. His orange eyes widened in fear, but not fearing the Gate, he was afraid for Mustang.

"Get back! It'll take you too!" Sol shouted.

The madman managed to shove Roy away before he disappeared into the Gate. "Goodbye führer Roy Mustang! I hope we meet again someday!"

The room was still once more. Mustang sat and stared at the empty space in front of him. He slammed his fist into the floor, "He got away again!" Roy hissed.

As he looked at Edward's lifeless body, Mustang's expression became one of grief and sadness. "Sol was our last chance at saving you... And now both you and that bastard are gone forever..." He said, grief strangling his words.

"I'm sorry Fullmetal. My recklessness dragged you into this, and now all hope is gone... I'm so sorry..." Roy whispered. He sat on the floor and buried head in his hands.

(why must I make myself cry when I write?! :C)


	36. Chapter 35

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 35: Life

¡ (warning:) !  
*(This chapter contains trace amounts of parental Roy/Ed (strictly parental! Nothing bad, ya creeps :I) and adorableness. :3 this chapter is one of my favorites. It's so cute! SQUEE!)*

A weak cough interrupted Mustang's guilty conscience. Roy stared up at the hospital bed in front of him.

'No... It can't be...' He thought.

Roy stood up on shaking legs and slowly walked over to Ed's bedside. All hope drained from Mustang's eyes, the boy still wasn't moving at all, not even any sign of breathing. Edward truly was dead...

Roy bowed his head in shame and grief, holding his face in his hands. He'd lost another best friend. He failed. He had failed Hughes, and now he failed Fullmetal.

"Roy...?"

A horse whisper cut through the thick blanket of shame that had wrapped itself around Mustang again. He slowly lifted his gaze to the 'dead' boy.

Edward's shimmering golden eyes were open, staring at Mustang in sadness and confusion. Roy only stared back in disbelief. His heart stopped and he held his breath.

Suddenly, Mustang lunged forward and hugged Edward tightly. "Ed! You're alive! Thank goodness!" He cried happily.

Ed stared over Roy's shoulder in confusion, But his thoughts soon collected. "Get offa me!" Ed spat, shoving the Führer away.

Mustang dusted off his uniform and straightened himself. "*Ahem* sorry..." he apologized, but Roy's gaze softened once more. "Damn, pipsqueak... Its great to have you back."

Mustang's eyes suddenly flashed in anger. He stomped up to Edward and stared down at him. Ed looked confused and a bit scared.

"Damn it, Fullmetal! Don't you EVER do that again! Do you how worried Alphonse was? How worried Winry was!?" he shouted. More quietly he added, "And... How worried I was..."

Edward smirked, "Awww! You were worried? Well that's a surprise! You are usually so eager to get rid of me, I would think that you'd be relieved I was gone!" he laughed sarcastically.

Roy glared at the boy, immediately making him shut up. "You think this is funny?!" He snarled. "I was worried sick! Al hasn't had a decent meal or a good night's sleep since this happened! Winry nearly killed me with a wrench! The whole of central has been so depressed without you!"

Edward looked shocked to hear those words. But his golden eyes darkened and he looked at the floor. "I'm sorry Roy. I made you all worried again..."

Roy looked at the boy in surprise, "It's not your fault! You are still alive, and lucky to be! The doctors were trying to convince me to pull the plug and let you die. But I refused."

Edward nodded absentmindedly, his eyes showed his sadness. "I guess my work is done if I'm sitting here in Amestris... I just hope Thunderclan is doing alright..." He sighed.

Roy froze and the room went silent. he held his breath, "What did you say?" Mustang croaked.

"I said that my work must be done if I'm sitting here with you!" Edward snapped.

"So... Sol wasn't lying..." Mustang whispered.

"Eh?"

"That psycho talked about something you needed to get done with some clans. Sol is the guy who put you into that coma. But... He's also the one who pulled you out of it." Mustang explained.

Ed's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?! that bastard saved me?! I thought I wasn't going to see the light of day again! I guess I should thank him... No, that guy is a Asshole, no way I'm going to thank that bastard." He growled.

Mustang looked Edward in the eye. "What happened to you? Did Sol really send your soul somewhere else?" he asked softly.

A sad look crossed Ed's face. "Yes... He did. But you wouldn't believe what happened to me if I told you..."

Roy looked slightly annoyed. "After all that we've been through, the homunculi and Father, you think I wouldn't believe something like this?" He said with a little more authority.

"Heh, I guess your right. But I'd rather not talk about it right now..." Edward laughed. "let's just say that I think of cats with a higher regard after what I've been through..."

Mustang looked very confused and annoyed. "Fine, but we need to make sure you are alright. After all, you have been in a coma for more than three months! The only thing that was keeping you alive was the life support. so you will probably be very weak, just stay here while I go get a doctor." Roy told Edward sternly.

"Whatever you say, mom!" Edward snorted sarcastically, an annoyed look in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: 3rd

Mustang ran through the halls of the hospital, looking for the doctor that was in charge of Ed (The building was pretty quiet since it was nighttime). Roy really disliked this doctor, she was the one to suggest cutting off the life support and let Fullmetal die. But Roy wasn't sure who to find other than her.

Turning a corner, He spotted the doctor. She was talking to a nurse at the end of the hall. Mustang sprinted the rest of the way.

"Doctor Miley!" Roy gasped when he reached her.

The doctor turned to watch Roy in surprise. "You shouldn't be yelling in a hospital!" she scolded. "what is it?"

"It's Edward..." Roy panted as he tried to rest from all that running.

"Roy." Dr. Miley snapped, cutting off his words. "We understand your need to protect that boy, but there is nothing we can do. Just... Let him go." she said sternly.

Mustang stood up and stared down at the doctor with an annoyed scowl. "Dr. Miley, I would absolutely LOVE to have this argument yet again, but I'm afraid that you were wrong." he growled.

"I beg your pardon?!" Miley shouted, only to be silenced by Roy, who had taken a step closer to the doctor and looked her in the eye.

"He's AWAKE, Miley..." Mustang growled.

"P...Pardon?"

"Now, if you don't mind, I would like to get my subordinate out of this dreadful hospital!" Roy demanded angrily.

"Y-Yes sir! I hope you are right about that boy!" Miley gasped and started to run down the hall to Edward's room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: 3rd

"Well, everything checks out." Doctor Miley announced.

Edward was sitting on the side of the bed while the doctor asked him questions. Roy stood to the side and paced around impatiently.

"I have one last question for you Roy." Miley murmured.

"What now?!"

"How exactly did Edward's coma break? And why are there transmutation circles drawn on his head and chest?" The doctor asked sternly.

Roy stood still and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Because... Well, I found that serial killer in Ed's room."

"What?!" Ed and Miley exclaimed at once. "How could you let that man in?! He could have killed me!" Edward shouted angrily.

Roy chuckled sadly and looked back up at the two. "I didn't let him in, he was already in the room with Ed, drawing those circles when I came in. I attacked Sol immediately. I would have killed him if it wasn't for his brain alchemy. Don't worry, he didn't harm me. When I was stunned, Sol ran back over to Ed and transmuted." Roy explained further.

"I thought he killed you, Fullmetal." he continued, sadness lacing his voice. "So I attacked him again. But another gate appeared and he was gone. I was so scared, I thought that man had really killed you. But he was making sure your soul returned from wherever it went before."

The doctor simply stood and stared at Roy. Ed, however, was nodding in understanding. "I knew there was a reason why I didn't look like a normal chimera. My soul was simply attached, nothing more..." Edward wondered aloud.

Roy stared at his subordinate with a bewildered expression."Ch...Chimera?" he stuttered. "What chimera!?"

Edward instantly regretted mentioning what had happened. But he knew that Roy needed to find out sooner or later. "Yep... My soul was attached to an animal, not another human." Ed began.

"WHAT?! How is that possible?!" Roy and Dr. Miley gasped. She didn't know much about alchemy, but this seemed too bizarre for Miley's comprehension.

"Well, it's true! My soul was attached to a cat's body. And it's weird, the cat actually looked like me too!" Ed chuckled. "It even had Automail!"

Edward looked up and saw the adults' bewildered expressions, causing him to smirk. "Heh, I told you! I said you wouldn't believe me!"

Roy shook his head as if to clear it. "Fullmetal, I don't care how bizarre your story is, just spit it out already!" He said angrily.

"Alright! But don't say I didn't warn you!"


	37. Chapter 36

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 36: Reunion

(Another Squee chapter! Yays! I love Squee and cuteness like this! o3o)

(also, Ed already explained what happened to Roy. So it isn't mentioned in this chapter)

POV: 3rd

"Damn..." Mustang hissed.

"what is it?" Edward asked.

The two military personnel were walking down the road that lead away from the hospital. Ed was walking on a crutch since his body was still very weak from the lack of nutrition while in the coma.

"I forgot to call Winry and Alphonse to tell them the news." Mustang growled.

"Heh, don't worry about it! I guess they'll be in for a surprise then!" Ed laughed.

"yeah..."

Roy continued to walk alongside the boy, making sure to slow his pace to match Ed's slow limping. Mustang glanced down sadly at his subordinate. the young alchemist still looked terrible. His skin was still pale, but he has been awake for only half a day now, after all.

Roy stared ahead again, wondering what Al and Winry's reactions would be. The thought made the Führer smile in amusement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roy and Edward stood on a hill overlooking the Rockbell residence. Ed sighed and smiled. "I'm home... I can't wait to see Al and Winry again!" He said happily.

The two began to walk towards the house, but the faithful dog, Den, didn't greet their arrival with his familiar barking. 'He must be inside.' Ed thought. 'Maybe he's worried about me too.'

Edward sighed and rang the doorbell, smiling when he heard a single bark from the dog inside, footsteps soon followed just on the other side of the door. They sounded slow and labored, as if the person was finding it hard to put one foot in front of the other.

The door opened to reveal a very depressed Alphonse. The boy's dark blonde hair was messy and his eyes were dull from lack of sleep. Al simply stared strait at Edward for a minute, trying to process what he was seeing. His mind must be slow from less sleep too.

Ed smiled sadly. "You finally get your body back and you still decide to never sleep?" He teased, sadness lacing his voice.

Al blinked, making sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him. "B-Brother?"

"Yep... It's me, Al..." Edward said quietly.

Alphonse's eyes widened immediately and he suddenly threw himself out the doorway and into Ed's arms. The blonde alchemist gasped in surprise and nearly fell over from his brother's weight.

"Brother! Oh, Ed! I can't believe it's really you!" Alphonse sobbed, clutching at Edward's shirt.

"Woah, Al! I just got out of a hospital! I'm not exactly as strong as Armstrong!" Ed managed to gasp before collapsing onto the porch.

The younger brother still clung tightly to Ed as if he might disappear if Al let go for even a moment. "Brother! I thought... I thought I lost you! I thought you were going to die..." Alphonse cried. "Please don't ever leave again!"

Edward returned his brother's hug. "I won't, Al... I won't. I'm sorry for what happened. I'm sorry for making you worry this badly. But I'm here now." He murmured.

*(SQUEEEEEE! x3x so adorable! :3)*

Roy watched the two brothers with a massive grin on his face. If only he had a camera, the guys back at headquarters would never let Ed hear the end of it of they saw this. But Roy wouldn't do that to Ed, not after all that had happened to him.

Mustang heard more footsteps and looked up at the doorway. Winry stood there, staring at Ed and Al in shock.

"Uh... Hi Winry..." Edward said once Al had let go of him.

The blonde mechanic still stood there, gawking at Ed. He scratched the back of his head. This is getting a bit awkward...

"Welcome home..." Winry said after a few moments, smiling warmly.

"Yeah, Home..." Ed murmured.

*(YAY! I'm almost done! In fact, the next chapter is more of an epilogue of sorts. I'm also gonna write a bonus chapter where Mustang and Ed decide to have some fun and prank the other soldiers while they still think Ed's dead/in the coma ;3)*

(See ya later for now!)

-SapphireClaw


	38. Chapter 37

SapphireClaw does NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist or Warriors in any way. Both belong to their rightful owners. This story is not meant to violate any copyright whatsoever.

Chapter 37: End

POV: 3rd.

Edward strolled through the forest with his hands in his pockets. It has been two days since Ed woke up. He missed his clan, and he missed Dovepaw.

'Now I remember what happened...' He thought. 'this was where Mustang and his men were stationed...' Ed stood at the edge of a big clearing.

Edward turned and began walking down the road. It was a long trek but he finally reached the place, it was still pretty destroyed. The pillar of stone that had struck the car had been removed, for the most part, and the crashed car had been cleaned up. The only thing that betrayed the crash site from a normal stretch of road was the cracks in the pavement from the rolling car and the occasional shard of glass left behind.

'I wonder if Riza was okay...' Ed wondered before turning to look at the forest. "I thought I recognized this place... This is Thunderclan territory." He said aloud.

Edward walked into the trees and wandered around for a while, recognizing the familiar Thunderclan landmarks like the island and the training clearing. Although everything looked different from up high, Ed recognized the features quickly.

The Windclan border came into sight, the familiar rolling hills comforted Ed as he stared out across them. His bright red coat was ruffled by the cool breeze.

A bit of movement caught his eye, an animal streaking through the short grass. Edward looked over to see what it was. A passing patrol of Windclan cats! Edward smiled, among the furry creatures was the familiar brown pelt of Emberfoot.

The patrol stopped and stared at the 'Twoleg' who was standing on the border. Ed smiled and looked directly at Emberfoot, raised his automail arm, and waved to his friend.

Emberfoot blinked in surprise and confusion when he recognized both the gesture and the metal limb. He mouthed the word 'Metalpaw' in disbelief. The patrol leader called out Emberfoot's name. With one last glance at Edward, he obeyed and followed the patrol.

Ed strolled back into the Thunderclan forest when Emberfoot was gone. 'I wonder where Dovepaw is?' he asked himself.

The feeling of nostalgia grew as Ed neared the Thunderclan camp. He felt saddened when he thought about the clan he left behind. Ed knew fully well that he couldn't ever be with Thunderclan again, but he was fine with that. As long as Alphonse is with him, Ed wouldn't have it any other way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: Dovepaw

I dragged my feet along the trail into camp. I carried a pitiful bird, the only prey I caught in a one-hour hunt. Metalpaw had died two days ago, it was the worst day of my life. I cried the whole time the elders buried him.

I dropped the prey on the fresh-kill pile and sat down next to my sister without a word. Ivypaw groomed my fur to try and comfort me, but it didn't really help.

"Firestar." Greystripe called as he entered the camp. I didn't even bother to look up at him.

"What is it?"

"A Windclan patrol warned me of a Twoleg approaching our camp." The senior warrior said worriedly.

"What? A twoleg? How big of a threat?" Firestar exclaimed.

Greystripe tilted his head in thought. "The patrol said that it was just one Twoleg, and a small one too."

"Good. Dovepaw, Icecloud, and Greystripe, come with me. We are going to get more information." Firestar commanded.

I sighed and slowly stood up. "Coming..." I muttered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I trailed behind the patrol as we tracked the Twoleg's scent. Something about it was familiar, The smell brought feelings of sadness and regret. I don't know why.

Firestar flicked his tail to signal the patrol to halt. We obeyed and stopped. The ginger tom looked into a clearing from behind the cover of a bush.

"Windclan was right, there is a Twoleg in our territory." Firestar murmured quietly. He flicked his tail again. The rest of the patrol approached and looked into the clearing. I slowly followed.

A Twoleg stood in the center of the small clearing with its front paws tucked into his pelt casually. It had its back to us, oblivious to our existence.

I stared at the creature, studying its features. It was a young male that seemed pretty small for his age. His pelt was long and flowing, blood red with an odd symbol on the back. The Twoleg's head fur was a brilliant golden color, woven into a tail-like strand that hung behind him. Its color reminded me of Metalpaw's warm pelt, making me feel sad and lonely.

"That is one weird Twoleg..." Greystripe whispered loudly to Firestar.

"Shhhh! It might hear you!" Icecloud hissed.

Too late, the Twoleg froze when Greystripe spoke. The patrol held their breath as the creature turned around to look in our direction.

I gasped in shock. Those eyes... Those EYES! they were bright and golden just like Edward's! They had the same brilliant light shining from them, so full of determination and emotion.

"Ed... Edward?" I whispered.

My paws began to move without me realizing it. I slowly crept forward towards the Twoleg and out if the cover of the bush. Icecloud hissed at me and Firestar commanded me to stop. But I ignored them.

"M-Metalpaw?" I meowed up at the Twoleg. "Is that you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: 3rd

Edward looked around. 'Did I just hear Greystripe?' he thought.

Although Ed was no longer a cat, he could recognize his clanmate's voices. He didn't know if he could still understand what they were saying, but Ed would always remember them.

"Mrow?"

Edward looked down at a bush and saw his beloved friend emerge. He knew what that meow meant, Dovepaw had just called his name.

Ed nodded slowly and kneeled down. Dovepaw took a step back and her blue eyes widened. She was unsure wether to be afraid like what her instincts screamed, or to be overjoyed like what her heart told her.

Edward looked into the grey cat's eyes, his own were filled with affection and happiness. 'Can I still speak cat? I doubt it... I could immediately understand and speak like a cat when I became one, so it would make sense that I would loose that ability when I returned to being human.'

He nodded, "Yes, it's me..." Ed murmured, holding out his arms. He hoped that Dovepaw would understand what he was saying through gestures and their eyes. Ed may be able to understand her for the most part, but she couldn't understand him.

Dovepaw's eyes widened even more when she saw his arm. Ed's glove and sleeves had covered the prosthetic, but when he held out his arm to the cat, the metal showed. Dovepaw looked back up at Edward.

The fluffy apprentice suddenly jumped into Ed's arms without hesitation. He caught her and hugged her tightly. Dovepaw buried her face into Ed's red coat and wriggled closer to her beloved friend.

*(SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE! o3o so ADORABLE!)*

"Ed... How can this be? We all saw your body, you were dead!" Dovepaw cried. It was a rough translation on Ed's part, but he seemed to know exactly what she said.

"I know... I'm sorry. But I was never supposed to belong to Thunderclan." Ed murmured.

Dovepaw's eyes started pouring tears. She couldn't understand him... All she heard was Twoleg gibberish. Edward looked at her with sympathy and sadness. He desperately wanted her to understand his words, but he knew it was hopeless.

Ed simply hugged Dovepaw again, holding her fluffy grey body close to his. They stayed like this, clinging to each other for what felt like a century, never wanting to let go.

A snarl interrupted the two from their moment of sadness. Edward opened his eyes to see Firestar, Greystripe, and Icecloud running at him.

Greystripe threw himself at Ed's left leg, biting and scratching. "Let her go, you Twoleg filth!" He snarled.

Ed jerked, standing up in surprise and pain as the dark grey cat's claws tore his pants and pierced his flesh. Firestar stood in front of Ed with his teeth bared and fur standing on end.

"Don't you dare hurt that apprentice! Put her down!" Firestar hissed.

"W-Wait! Firestar! It's Metalpaw!" Dovepaw yowled, still being held by Edward.

Icecloud ignored Dovepaw and swiped her claws at Ed's right arm. She hissed in shock and pain as her claws met steel instead of skin. Icecloud staggered backwards and glared at Ed menacingly.

Firestar and Greystripe stopped attacking and scrambled over to their clanmate. "Did he hurt you?!" Greystripe asked worriedly. Turning back to Ed he spat, "You piece of Fox-dung!" Edward simply sat where he was in shock with Dovepaw still in his arms.

The young cat scrambled out of Ed's hands and ran over to Firestar. "What did you attack Ed for?!" She hissed angrily.

The ginger leader purred in relief and licked Dovepaw on the head. "Thank goodness! Did that fox-heart hurt you?"

Dovepaw stared at her leader in anger. "He's not a fox-heart!" She snarled. "It's Metalpaw!"

Firestar stared at Dovepaw in surprise. His gaze softened, "Dovepaw I know you miss him, but how could you think that Twoleg is Metalpaw? It could have hurt you!" He scolded softly.

Edward stood up while the four cats were arguing. He chuckled sadly, they reminded him of when he and Al would fight. Ed slowly walked closer to the group of cats, they were too busy to notice him. Ed sat down and patiently waited for them to finish arguing.

"Fire..." Ed growled. He was trying to remember the pitch and sound of a cat's voice when one said the leader's name, but he only remembered the first part.

The ginger leader swung his head around to look at the Twoleg. 'Did that thing just say fire?' he thought. Firestar let his fur spike up again. "Go away! You don't belong here!" He snarled.

Edward looked at the ground in sadness. 'Firestar is right. Im not a cat, I'm human. I don't belong with them.' he thought.

Ed stood up and started to walk away. But a desperate meow called him back. "Ed! Don't leave!" Dovepaw wailed.

Ed looked at his friend and kneeled back down. "Sorry..." he said in cat language. It really hurt his voice to make it so high-pitched and cat-like.

Dovepaw's eyes watered again, "Don't go..." She whimpered.

Ed placed his left hand on the cat's head and petted her. He shook his head sadly. "I don't belong with Thunderclan anymore. I have my own family to look after." He said.

Dovepaw saw the meaning of Ed's words through his golden eyes.

"Hey Ed!" called a voice.

All eyes looked in the direction of the road. Alphonse stood there, waving at his brother. "It's time to go!"

Edward smiled sadly and looked back at Dovepaw. She stared at Al and then at Ed. "Is that your brother?" She asked.

The blonde nodded and stood back up then turned towards his brother "I'm coming, Al!"

Dovepaw tugged at the Ed's coat with her claws before he could leave. He looked down at his friend sadly, his eyes speaking to her as well as any voice: "I'll see you again someday. Don't worry."

Dovepaw released Ed's jacket and watched him walk away, tears welling up in her eyes. Firestar slowly approached her.

"That really was Metalpaw, wasn't it?" he murmured.

"Yes... and now he's gone again..." Dovepaw whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

POV: 3rd

As Edward walked away from Dovepaw, he couldn't help feel torn between his brother and the clan he had once called his own.

"Ed?" Al murmured once his older brother had caught up.

"Hm?"

"Were those cats the ones you told me about?" Al asked.

Ed nodded. "Yes... And in going to miss them..." he said.

Al suddenly punched his brother's shoulder. Ed stumbled in shock and glared at him. "What was that for?!"

Alphonse smiled in amusement. "You looked like you needed someone to knock you upside the head. And it worked, you don't look all depressed anymore."

Ed laughed, "Yeah... It did work..."

Al looked at his brother sympathetically. "Brother, don't be sad. Like you said, you will see them again someday."

Edward looked up at the clear blue sky, "I know... I know..."

A horn honked from somewhere up ahead. "Oops, come on Ed! Riza is waiting for us! She only agreed to take you here for an hour!" Al shouted. The two brothers laughed and started to run towards the car.

*(YAY! it's done! :D It feels great to have a story actually written and posted! But I'm also sad that it's over. nao what am I gonna do when I'm bored?! I'm gonna add a bonus chapter soon! Thanks for reading my story!)*


	39. Bonus chapter: They're Evil!

Bonus chapter!

(I may make more of these)

Chapter 1A: They're Both Evil!

POV: 3rd

(also, this takes place at the beginning of chapter 35 before Roy and Ed arrive in Resembool {idk if that's how you spell it xD I'm too lazy to check!})

"Damn..." Mustang hissed.

"What is it?" Ed asked, limping along the road next to Roy.

"I forgot to call Winry and Alphonse to tell them the news." Roy answered.

"Oh, thats right! you've been with me the whole time since I woke up. Well i guess they are in for a surprise then." Ed said thoughtfully. "Wait... Have you called anyone? Havoc, Armstrong, Riza, anybody? Does the whole of central headquarters still think I'm in the hospital?" Edward said with a smirk.

"Yeah... What are you getting at?" Roy asked, looking at his subordinate suspiciously.

"Heh, how about we have some fun with this?" Edward said with an evil grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles of passing time!~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Central headquarters was quiet and inactive, which has become the norm as of late. It wasn't completely because of Fullmetal's worsening condition, some soldiers had gotten over the fact that the kid was going to die. But others who were closer to the boy were still saddened and hopeful he might wake up even after three months of fruitless medical attention.

The depression was strongest in the Führer's office located in the center of central headquarters. The aura of sadness seemed to darken the hallways nearby.

Havoc, Hawkeye, Armstrong, Falman, and Furey were currently inside the office as they waited for their Führer to return from the hospital. They simply sat around with dark emotions and sad thoughts. All of the soldiers knew that once Mustang did return, it would only bring more news of Edward's worsening state of health.

But now the soldiers were worried along with being depressed, the Führer hasn't returned for nearly a whole day. Either something terrible had happened to Ed or Roy simply got lost. Everyone in the room suspected the former.

A noise interrupted the soldier's sad thoughts, someone was approaching the room. They all straightened themselves and tried to look somewhat cheerful for their returning Führer.

Roy Mustang stumbled through the door, his head bowed and his expression unclear. His friends held their breath and waited for the man to collect himself. They knew something terrible had happened.

"Sir?" Riza said worriedly.

Mustang slowly looked up at his trusted soldiers, his expression was one of pure sorrow and grief. "H...He... " Roy managed to choke out, but he stopped and looked back down at the floor.

"What is it?" Havoc demanded.

"Edward is... H-He's gone..." Roy whispered.

The room was silent. Furey's eyes widened in shock while the others bowed their heads in grief. Furey and Armstrong looked like they were about to cry. Havoc and Falman sat down and held their heads in their hands while muttering something inaudible. Hawkeye still stood up strait, but she was clearly pained and shocked at the news.

"C...Chief is... dead?" Havoc murmured.

Mustang ducked his head and looked away from his friend in grief. But an amused smirk was hidden from the soldiers.

"Hey Roy, where'd ya go?!" A voice suddenly shouted from outside in the hallway.

The soldiers stared in disbelief as Edward walked casually into the room with his hands tucked in his pockets. "Hey guys." He said cheerfully.

"B-But...He... Chief?!" Havoc stuttered, eyes wide as he gawked at the blonde alchemist.

"You just... He was... What's going on?!" Furey shouted at Ed, pointing at him with a trembling finger.

Roy and Edward couldn't hold it in any longer, the two burst into a fit of laughter and fell onto the floor. "You should have saw your faces! That was awesome!" Edward cried while rolling on the ground next to Mustang.

"I gotta agree with you there! That was priceless!" Roy laughed.

"EDWARD ELRIC!" Armstrong bellowed, stomping up to the young soldier. "You had us worried sick! ITS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU"

Edward screamed as Armstrong lifted him off the floor and pulled him into a hug of death. "H-Help me!" Ed choked out as his bones were crushed by the overly-emotional alchemist.

BANG

A loud gunshot boomed, echoing through the whole of Central headquarters. All soldiers looked up at Riza Hawkeye. She was standing in front of them all with a big pistol in her hand. The barrel was smoking and pointed towards the ceiling. a bullet hole was ripped into the roof, sprinkling debris down into the office.

Armstrong released Edward immediately, letting the boy fall to the ground. Mustang and Ed stared at Riza in shock as she scowled down at them.

"Don't you EVER scare us like that again!" She snarled. The gun was suddenly pointed at the two alchemists ,who sat on the floor holding each other and trembling in fear. "You hear me?!" Hawkeye demanded, her eyes flashing in rage.

"Yes ma'm!" Mustang and Edward yelped in terror.

*(well that's it! :3 I had fun while writing that. Maybe I should do more like this. Whaddya think?)*


	40. Bonus chapter 2: Assistance, part 1

(hai peeps! i was really bored today so i decided to write another bonus chapter! i love this story anyway, so why not? i missed writing this fic, it helped with mah boredom. so the show must go on! ;3 I'm thinking of writing another bonus chapter about Ed's antics in Thunderclan that weren't included in the actual story.)

(PS: this is a multi-chapter bonus story. it may be three to four chapters long. enjoy!)

* * *

Bonus chapter 2 part 1: Assistance

* * *

"Edward Elric..."

Ed tossed in his sleep, wrinkling the blankets. That voice has been whispering in his dream the whole night! It sounded vaguely familiar, but Edward couldn't figure out who it belonged to.

"Edward, your assistance is required once more..."

"What...? Who are you?" Ed murmured in his sleep. Although he was dreaming, his vision was blank, only darkness surrounded his subconscious.

"You are needed... It is time you visit an old friend..." Two piercing blue cat-like eyes opened in the darkness of his dream.

Ed gasped and jumped awake, hitting his head against the headboard of his bed. "What the hell was that about?" He hissed as he rubbed his head.

"Brother? Are you alright?" Alphonse called. He entered Edward's room, shedding light from the doorway.

"M' fine, Al. Just a nightmare." Ed answered.

Alphonse frowned and looked his brother over suspiciously. "I don't believe that for a second." He stated. "You haven't had a single nightmare since the Promised Day. I don't think it's JUST a nightmare."

"you read me like a book, Al..." Ed sighed. "But I'm fine, really..."

Al sighed and turned around to leave the room. "You should get up, it's morning already."

"What?! What time is it?" Ed exclaimed.

"Get up and check for yourself." Al said with a smirk.

Edward quickly got ready and walked downstairs where Winry and Al were eating breakfast.

"YOU LIAR!" Ed shouted when he looked at the clock. "Its five in the morning!"

Al smiled, "Oops, oh well. Might as well eat breakfast with us while you are awake!"

Ed snorted and sat at the table. A plate was already set out for him. He raised an eyebrow. "Did you two plan this?"

"Okay, I'll admit that we did plan a little. We just wanted to enjoy the morning together! You always sleep in brother and we never get to eat breakfast together. You don't have to sleep for both of us anymore, so quit sleeping so much!" Al laughed.

Ed rolled his eyes and obeyed his brother, allowing himself to enjoy the morning.

Winry had to leave for work not long after breakfast. Al decided I confront Ed about his dream once she left. "Hey Ed, What were you dreaming about?"

Ed sighed and looked at his brother. "Nothing much. Just a weird voice whispering to me. But it's odd... I had a very similar dream before I was attacked by Sol..."

Al frowned. "That worries me... What did it say?"

"It told me that I needed to visit a friend..." Ed replied.

Al smiled a little. "Well, I can think of some friends that you could visit." He said cheerfully. Ed looked up at his brother with a confused look, to which Al smirked. "Thunderclan."

Ed jerked in surprise and blinked, then slapped a hand over his face, "Of course! How could I have forgotten that voice! It was the first thing I heard when I found out that I was cat!" Ed exclaimed.

"Who was it?" Al asked.

"It was Bluestar! That annoying furball! She never gives a strait answer! not then, and certainly not now!" Edward grumbled.

Al tilted his head. "So you still can recognize the voices of those wild cats you lived with?" He asked.

Ed nodded. "But she wasn't one of my old clanmates. She was the former leader of Thunderclan, she died long ago. And apparently she is also one of the keepers of Starclan's gate."

Al blinked, "Gate?! So, these cats have their own gate?!"

"Well, yeah. But it's not surprising really. Each person has their own gate too, remember? But these cats only have one gate, each cat does not have an individual gate for themselves. Starclan cats control the gate and use it to help the clans that they left behind when they died. But having only one gate means that the cats cannot preform alchemy. But I could use alchemy because my soul still carried it's gate into the cat body I was given, I am a human after all."

Al nodded, intrigued. "That's awesome! How do you know all of this, brother?"

"Most of it is theory from the history of the clans and what little information Bluestar had given me about their gate."

Ed narrowed his eyes in thought and continued, "The clans talk of the four great cats that used to rule the forest the clans originated from. Tiger, Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah. But there was originally five big cats, the fifth being an odd creature that was a mix of all four that spoke the tongue of the humans. When the fifth cat died, he created Starclan to help the clans he cared for and loved." Ed explained. "I have a theory that this fifth cat was a human chimera who joined the clans, which means that he had an actual gate within himself. But his soul was so intertwined with the big cats he was fused with that Truth no longer had control over it, thus leaving the chimera unable to preform alchemy and making the chimera's gate completely independent. I think that when the chimera died he somehow gave up his own Gate to be ruled and shared among the clans, thus creating Starclan."

Al stared at his brother in awe and interest. "That's amazing! And you got to meet one of the keepers of the Gate?"

Ed nodded with a scowl. "Yeah. But she was annoying! Only gave riddles as answers for the most important questions. For example, this is what she told me when I met her: "You must mend the earth before it swallows all. Only then can you return." what's with that?! She could have at least told me "Oh and also, there's gonna be deadly earthquakes, lots of em'!"" Ed snorted sarcastically.

Al laughed. "Well, how about we go and visit your little kitty girlfriend?"

Ed stared at his brother, mouth agape. "She is a freaking CAT! How can she be a girlfriend?! Seriously!" He raged.

Al laughed and got up. Ed soon followed, mumbling something under his breath.

( I'm so proud of myself for thinking up that whole explanation behind Starclan n' stuff! it makes sense and it sounds epic. :3)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ed and Al's car arrived at the desired spot, Thunderclan's forest. The black vehicle pulled up alongside the road and stopped right where Edward was attacked by Sol. The two brothers jumped out of the car and looked around.

"Well, this is it." Ed announced.

Al nodded and they both began to walk into the forest. The younger brother stared around at the massive trees in awe, taking in every sight.

Ed smirked. "Awesome, isn't it? It was quite fun living in this forest with the clan..." He said.

Edward grinned and ran up to a tree. "I climbed this tree once. Heh, Dovepaw had to help me down because I was too scared of falling!" He laughed. Ed then sped ahead and came upon a small moss clearing flanked by ferns. "And this is the training clearing! I had so much fun while training with Icecloud..." Ed trailed off and sighed, "I miss them all..."

Al placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and smiled. "Don't be like that! We are here to visit them, aren't we? So you'll get to see all of your kitty friends!" Ed laughed at his brother's statement and continued walking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Here we are!" Ed announced as the two brothers approached what looked like a massive hole in the earth. But as Al got closer, he saw that it was a big stone hollow. "Thunderclan's camp!"

"Wow! They live here? I see, they sleep in all those bushes! Hmm... It looks like the cats actually tampered with the plants so they would grown to their advantage. That's pretty intelligent!" Al commented.

Ed nodded and approached the edge of the hollow and looked down into it. Some cats were walking around in the clearing. eating, sleeping, and sharing the news of the day.

Suddenly, an old-looking cat raised his head and sniffed the air. He turned his head and looked directly up at Edward. The cat's ears laid back and he hissed, spat, and cursed at the invading 'Twoleg.'

Ed tilted his head, 'Thats odd.." He thought. 'The clan never showed that much hate towards twolegs... I know that humans aren't exactly their favorite creature but that's a bit much! He looks like he would love nothing more than to rip my throat out! What is even more strange, that's Purdy! He's lived with humans before and never spoke too badly of them...'

Purdy yowled an alarm call and the other cats looked up at Ed. Their eyes widened in fear and they scrambled to hide. Poppyfrost grabbed her kits and ran into the nursery as quick as lightning.

"What's the matter with them, brother?" Al whispered.

Ed shrugged, "I don't know... It's pretty odd for them to be running and hiding like that. Usually they would analyze the situation for a little longer before deciding what to do. Not to mention that Thunderclan doesn't normally run from something like this..."

A flame colored cat poked it's head out of a cave entrance and looked at the two humans in anger and fear. But recognition filled his eyes as he realized that it was Edward. The cat bounded down the trail of boulders and into the forest. He approached Ed excitedly.

"Metalpaw!" He cried. "Thank goodness it's just you! I thought that twoleg was back again!"

Ed looked at Firestar quizzically and tilted his head to show his confusion. Firestar understood the gesture and replied, "A twoleg has been constantly terrorizing our clan lately, I was fearing that it had come back for another attack."

"What's he saying?" Al asked his brother.

"He's telling me that a human has been attacking the clan." Edward replied before turning back to Firestar.

Ed's golden eyes widened in worry and he kneeled down to the fire-colored cat. "Dovepaw" Ed growled, still finding it difficult to speak cat.

Firestar's eyes filled with sadness and grief. "Dovepaw was captured by the Twolegs..." He murmured sadly.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

(dun dun duuuuuuuun!)


	41. Bonus chapter 2: Assistance, part 2

-Bonus Chapter: Assistance part 2-

"WHAT?!" Edward exclaimed.

Firestar sprang back at the sudden outburst. The fact that the word was gibberish to his ears did not help cushion his surprise.

"Firestar! Get away from that Twoleg! You'll get captured too!" A lone cat yowled from below. He was probably startled by Edward's outburst and thought he was trying to hurt the Thunderclan leader.

"It's alright! He is going to help us! This twoleg isn't a bad one." Firestar called. Turning back to Ed, he said, "I'm sorry, Edward. We tried everything we could, but they took her. But maybe you can help us find Dovepaw and the other missing warriors!"

Edward clenched his teeth in anger. "So, this bastard has been attacking MY clan and kidnaped MY friend, huh? Well, he's about to get the biggest ass kicking in history!" Ed growled. (in human speech, not cat)

He stood up and turned to Alphonse. "How about we kick some catnapper butt, Al?"

his brother nodded and smiled down at the Thunderclan leader. "Hey there kitty! Who might you be?" He cooed.

Firestar looked at the younger Elric in bewilderment. "Metalpaw, who is this Twoleg? Er... Uh... Human?" He asked.

"What did he say?" Al asked, nudging his brother's shoulder.

"He asked who you were." Ed replied. turning back to Firestar he said, "My kin, Alphonse."

"Alphonse..." The ginger leader repeated, looking up at the younger brother. "Such an odd name... Well, so is Edward. Are all Twoleg names like that?" He asked.

"Yes." Ed chuckled. "He can't understand you like I can. But that doesn't matter. He is very fond of cats, tries to rescue every stray kitty in Central." Edward gave a hard cough and cleared his throat. "Jeez, it's really hard to talk like this. Humans aren't built to speak cat!" He laughed.

Firestar purred and turned to look at Alphonse. "Pleased to meet you, Alphonse, kin of Metalpaw." he greeted. "I am Firestar, leader of Thunderclan."

Al nudged Ed and asked for a translation. "Oh, Uh. He introduced himself to you. This is Firestar, Thunderclan's leader." He answered, gesturing to the cat.

"Cool! So he's their king? Like a pride of lions?" Al asked excitedly, kneeling down to get closer to Firestar. The cat stepped away in surprise, shocked and wary at Al's enthusiasm.

"No, the clans are each like a Democracy. The clan cats vote on actions but are decided and guided by their leader and the occasional warning from Starclan. Firestar usually makes the decisions regarding battles with the other clans and other issues in Thunderclan. He is one of the most trustworthy perso- Er... Cat I have met." Ed explained, looking down at his former leader in pride.

"Awesome! So these cats have their own governments?" Al chirped.

"Kinda. but it's not as complicated as our Amestrian government. They live by what they call the Warrior Code, a set of taboos and guidelines to live by. For example, one is that you cannot be mates with a cat of another clan because it would cause major chaos between the two clans." Ed said.

Something nudged Edward's leg. He looked down and saw Firestar tugging at his pants. "Metalpaw, I would like to get down to business concerning the Twolegs and the kidnapped cats." He meowed.

Ed face-palmed and sighed. "Oops, sorry Firestar. I was telling Al about the clans and the warrior code." He straitened up and grew more serious. "Okay. What do you know about these humans and the kidapped warrior's situation?"

Firestar smiled a cute kitty smile, making Alphonse squeak at the sheer adorableness. "We will talk about that soon but first we must tell the clan about you. They must be terrified! Nobody else knows what had really become of you when you died other than me, Dovepaw, Greystripe, and Icecloud." Firestar began to pad towards the entrance to the hollow and into the camp. Ed motioned Al to come with him and the two brothers followed.

Edward and Alphonse carefully moved down the narrow winding trail that lead down into the hollow. Various hisses and snarls were thrown at the invading 'Twolegs' as they walked through the center of the camp. Al looked around worriedly and tried to correct whatever he had done to upset the kitties.

"It's okay, Al. The other cats don't know that we are here to help them. They are just being protective." Ed assured. Al nodded and continued to follow Firestar.

The ginger cat leaped up the trail of rocks that lead to his den and sat on the ledge. He motioned to the two humans with his tail, telling them to climb. They obeyed and carefully made their way to the top. Al and Ed sat behind Firestar at the entrance to his small cave den.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here below the Highledge for a clan meeting." He called.

Cats began to emerge from their dens and walk over. But as soon as they spotted the twolegs they recoiled in shock and fear and took a few steps back. Firestar sighed and commanded them to gather again. Soon the entire clan was sitting below the ledge, still shifting their paws warily and sending burning glares at the two humans.

Firestar cleared his throat and spoke. "Cats of Thunderclan." He began.

Al nudged Edward and whispered, "What is he saying?"

"I'll tell you as he goes." Ed answered.

"Do not be afraid, these Twolegs are our allies. They will help us stop the attacks and return the missing warriors from the evil Twolegs." Firestar said.

"Why should we trust them?!" A cat yowled from the crowd.

"Yeah! Who are they?" Another asked.

The Thunderclan leader looked down at his warriors and took a deep breath. "You all remember what took place three months ago. The apprentice Metalpaw died to stop the terrible earthquake using his power called Alchemy." Firestar began.

"What does this have to do with him?!" Another cat interrupted.

"Will you please refrain from further interruptions?" Firestar growled. "As I was saying, Metalpaw had died to save the forest. But as we all know, Metalpaw was not an ordinary cat. He had alchemy, he knew about earthquakes when nobody else did, and he talked of a military that he had come from. These are all things no cat has ever known or seen. two weeks before the quake, Metalpaw was about to admit something about himself to me, but he never finished. You all know that he was not a normal cat." Firestar stated.

The ginger cat took a deep breath and turned to look at Ed and Al before continuing. "The reason for that is because he was really a twoleg sent by Starclan to save us from the earthquake." Firestar said.

Yowls of outrage and surprise echoed through the clan as the cats shrieked in protest.

"You expect us to believe that?!" an elder snarled.

"How is that possible?! Metalpaw was a cat!" another yowled.

Firestar flicked his tail to silence the crowd and continued. "It is true. Metalpaw is really a twoleg. Starclan had sent for him and gave him the form of a cat to help us. When he died, he returned to his twoleg body."

"So I'm guessing you want us to believe that one of those Twolegs is Metalpaw?!" A brown warrior snorted.

"Yes." Firestar said bluntly.

"Ha! That's funny, Firestar. Now why are there two Twolegs in our camp really?" An apprentice laughed.

Firestar sighed and shook his head. "I didn't expect you all to believe. But I guess he has to show you anyway. I doubt every cat will believe even after."

Firestar nodded to Edward who stood up and crouched on the edge of the Highledge to look down on the cats below. He looked over the cats, his gaze lingering on his old friends.

Edward grinned and then spoke. "Hai!" He drawled, speaking in cat. He was anticipating the cats' reactions, hoping that they would be funny.

*(I find it a bit weird that Ed can talk to the cats. But it would be extremely difficult for them to communicate otherwise. soooo, yeah)*

The cats stared up at the twoleg in shock. "Did that thing just talk?!" blurted an apprentice.

"Eyup." Ed said, sitting on the end of the ledge casually.

"How is that possible?!" An elder yowled.

"Well, I don't know either." Ed meowed and tilted his head in a quizzical manner. "I guess I remember the pitch and volume of a cat's voice from when I lived here. I can copy the way cats speak and try to make my own voice sound the same."

"Okay... This is too weird... I think I need a moment..." An elder murmured as he stumbled back to the elder's den with the other old cats following.

"Very well, meeting dismissed." Firestar announced.

Ed stood up and walked back over to his brother. Who asked, "What was that about?"

"Heh, they were pretty freaked out when I spoke like them. It was quite funny, actually." The older Elric laughed.

"It's too bad I can't understand them..." Al whined. "Can you teach me?"

Edward shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I doubt that I could. It isn't like a foreign language or something, it's a whole new way you have to speak. And it's quite hard to make your voice that high pitched. I swear, I'm gonna loose my voice here pretty quick." he said, rubbing his neck.

"Excuse me, Edward?" Firestar called up at the older brother.

"Hm?"

"Come into my den and we may discuss the situation." He commanded, padding into said den.

Edward and Alphonse followed the cat, ducking under the small entrance and stepping into the little cave. Firestar settled onto his nest while the two humans sat down on the sandy floor.

"To start I just want to thank you for agreeing to help." Firestar began.

"No problem." Ed replied, turning to his brother and translating the statement for him.

"The attacks started about ten days ago. A big male twoleg began kidnapping cats from their patrols around the territory. First cat to be taken was Brambleclaw, then it was Berrynose. And then only three days ago the twoleg actually entered our camp and took Dovepaw." Firestar said.

Edward nodded slowly, a grim look in his eyes. "Have you gone looking for them?" He asked.

"Yes, of course! But the Twolegs must have them locked up somewhere outside of our territory." Firestar replied.

Edward stared at the ground while he thought. "Can you describe the appearance of the Human?"

"Hm? Yes. It was tall with black fur and a thick dark brown pelt that covered it's entire body and shiny big black hind paws." Firestar explained.

Edward grumbled something under his breath. "What is it brother?" Al asked worriedly.

"I think it may be animal control... But I don't think that they would be out here in the forest. I'm afraid that it may also be some creep that decided to catch the cats and try to domesticate them." Ed murmured.

"Metalpaw?" Firestar called, snapping Ed from his thoughts.

"Firestar... There are two possibilities as to who this human may be. One is Animal control, which I hope it isn't. Even though I am part of the military, if the cats from the other clans did something to upset a person and said person decided to call animal control, then I cannot interfere. But I highly doubt that animal control would bother with something way out here where so few humans live. The second possibility is an illegal domestication ring. People like that are those who steal strays and street pets to try and domesticate them. Then they cage the animals under terrible conditions and sell them illegally." Ed explained.

Firestar stared at Edward in horror. "Twolegs do that?!" He gasped.

Ed sat up and glanced around nervously. "Not all humans! In fact, it isn't allowed for someone to do that to an animal. If they are caught, the humans will be punished for animal abuse and illegal pet trafficking."

Firestar relaxed a bit. "I don't know which I'm hoping for... The illegal one I guess. That way you can interfere, but my warriors could be treated terribly..."

Edward reached over and placed his flesh hand on the cat's head reassuringly. "Don't worry. We will find them."

Firestar nodded gratefully and then looked out of the cave entrance and up at the sky. "Oh! It's getting dark! Where will you two be staying?" He exclaimed.

Ed looked out at the darkening sky and shrugged. "How about we camp nearby in case the Twoleg comes back? We can make something out of alchemy to sleep in." Edward suggested.

Firestar nodded and headed out of the cave. The clan below was getting ready to sleep. Some cats scuttled about transporting moss to their nests and taking some prey to eat before bed.

Edward sighed and turned to his brother. "He said that we could camp out nearby in case that person came back to steal more cats."

"Okay!" Al replied as they carefully walked down the rocky trail and into the camp clearing.

"Psst! Hey you! Twoleg!" Hissed a voice from somewhere behind Edward. He turned and looked around, spotting Jayfeather sitting by his den.

"Hey Jayfeather!" Ed greeted.

"Who's that?" Al asked.

"He's Jayfeather, Thunderclan's medicine cat. Ya know, he uses herbs n' stuff to cure sicknesses and help wounds heal." The older brother explained as they approached the grey cat.

"So, you really are Metalpaw?" Jayfeather questioned.

"Yep, it's me you grumpy furball." Ed laughed, kneeling down to get closer to the cat.

"Well, it's good to have you back, shorty." He purred.

"Hey Ed, what's wrong with him?" Al asked before his brother could shout at Jayfeather angrily. He noticed the way the cat didn't look directly at them.

"Hm? Oh, he's blind. Jayfeather was born blind but still found his place in the clan. He's also Dovepaw's uncle." Ed answered.

"Who's this?" Jayfeather asked, turning his ears and head towards Al.

"This is my brother, Alphonse or you can call him Al." Ed explained to the cat. Jayfeather simply nodded and padded away into his den.

"Let's go and find a place to set up camp." Ed announced, walking towards the camp exit.


	42. Bonus chapter 2: Assistance, part 3

-bonus chapter: Assistance part 3

(Sorry, this one is gonna be REALLY short. i wanted to update quickly because i havent posted anything in a while.)

Edward stared at the stars twinkling in the sky as he laid down with his head leaning against the base of a massive oak tree. He and Al had already set up camp nearby, it was kinda fun actually. It reminded Ed of the time the brothers and their mom went camping before she died. Ed heaved a deep sigh at the bittersweet memory.

"Hey... Uh... M-Metalpaw?" A quiet voice murmured.

Ed turned his head and saw a small grey cat approach him. "Hey Ivypaw..." he greeted. The apprentice hesitated before advancing further towards Ed and sat down next to him.

She looked up at Edward with saddened blue eyes. "I'm glad that you're back. When you died, the whole forest was grieving. Dovepaw was the worst, she hardly ate or slept for days afterward." Ivypaw sighed. She smiled slightly and said, "But then she came back from this one patrol with Firestar that went to find out about some twoleg in our territory. After that she seemed unusually cheerful and her grief was almost completely gone. Now I know why that happened, they saw you, didn't they?"

"Yeah. Heh, Firestar didn't recognize me but Dovepaw did." Ed laughed. Then he frowned and looked at the small apprentice that was sitting next to him. "That's not what you wanted to talk about, is it? What's eating you?" he asked.

"I... I'm worried about my sister..." Ivypaw sighed, staring at the ground and pawing at the dirt.

Ed smiled sadly and sat up. "Don't I know that feeling..." He said jokingly, looking in the direction of where his brother was sleeping in their camp. "Alphonse has gotten me worried plenty of times! He even got himself kidnapped by some creepy homunc- Er... Human who wanted to know something about alchemy even though the guy couldn't preform it himself."

"That sounds an awful lot like what happened to Dovepaw... What happened? Did he get hurt?! " Ivypaw asked.

"No, he was just fine! He actually kicked that guy's butt." Ed laughed. But then he looked down at Ivypaw sympathetically. "You know, your sister reminds me of my brother in more ways than one. She's kind and caring towards everyone and is very strong both physically and mentally."

"I know... But I'm still worried..." Ivypaw sighed.

Ed smiled sadly and reached down to pat the young cat's head gently. "I know, and that's a good thing. It shows that you care deeply about your sister. Don't worry, I'll find her and the rest of the warriors!"

"Okay... I trust you. Even though you're a twoleg now, you are still the same Metalpaw me and Dovepaw trained with." Ivypaw purred, a slight smile on her face. Ed smiled back at his former den mate.

"Brother! It's getting late, we should be getting to bed." Alphonse called from their camp.

Ed nodded and stood up. He looked down at Ivypaw and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll get then back." he said before turning and walking towards his camp.


	43. Bonus chapter 2: Assistance, part 4

-Bonus chapter part 4

A terrified screech suddenly echoed through the dark of night. Edward woke up and yelped in surprise. He flailed his arms as he fell out of his camping bed.

"What the hell was that?!" He gasped and stood up from the cold tent floor.

"Brother! What was that? Are you alright?" Alphonse asked worriedly from his side of the tent.

"Shit! That sounded like a cat!" Ed shouted. He quickly pulled on his clothes and jacket and stumbled out of the tent with his brother close behind.

Edward sprinted towards the Thunderclan camp where the cry seemed to originate from. The Elrics soon arrived at the camp and slid down the side of the hollow. Cats scurried around frantically, organizing various patrols. Ed spotted Firestar and ran up to him.

"Firestar! What happened?!" Ed asked the ginger leader.

Firestar looked up at Ed with fear in his eyes. "Edward! The Twolegs came back! They attacked suddenly while we were sleeping and tried to take the kits out of the nursery!" he wailed.

"Did they take anyone? Was there any injuries?" Ed questioned calmly.

"Ivypaw foolishly attacked the Twoleg before it could get into the nursery. But she got taken instead of the kits!" Firestar wailed.

"Okay, I will go after that bastard while my brother stays here in case any more humans come." Ed decided. He turned to look at Alphonse and said, "They stole Ivypaw. I'm going after those bastards to get her back, you stay here and guard the camp!" He started to sprint out of the camp, leaving his brother with the clan.

Al just stood and awkwardly looked around at the cats as his brother left. "Soooo... Hows it going?" He asked sheepishly. Firestar said something up at him but of course all Al could hear was a 'meow.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Squiggles~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edward sprinted down a trail that lead away from the Thunderclan camp. Muddy footprints marked the dirt. "I've got you now, you bastard." Ed murmured to himself as he followed the trail.

A snarl and a hiss sounded nearby. "Let me and my sister go!" It said.

'Thats Ivypaw!' Ed thought as he sprinted faster. He leaped over a bush and spotted a person in a thick brown worker suit carrying a screeching bundle of grey fur.

"YOU PUT THAT CAT DOWN!" Ed snarled.

The man turned around in shock and looked at the teenager who was running at him. Ed noticed his clothes were very unprofessional. 'Definitely not animal control.' he thought.

"You dang kid, what are you doing out here?! Go away, stay out of my business." The guy demanded.

Edward paid the guy no mind and closed the distance between them. The man gasped in shock as he was suddenly slammed against a tree by the small blonde teenager.

"Let go of her! NOW!" Ed roared at the catnapper he had pinned against a tree.

"Okay, Okay! geez kid, calm down I'll let your little kitty go!" The man said frantically. He tossed Ivypaw onto the dirt path and held up his hands.

"Why are you stealing these cats?!" Ed questioned.

"Because we are gonna find nice homes for them!" The man said softly. A little too softly, as if he were talking to a little kid.

Ed scowled at the creepy guy. "Bullcrap! I don't suppose you have any legal documents stating that you may remove these wild cats from their homes? Unauthorized animal domestication is illegal after all. And you are obviously not part of animal control." He snarled.

The man smirked down at Edward even though Ed clearly had the upper hand. "And who are you to question our actions, kid?" He sneered.

Edward's evil smile caught the catnapper off guard. Ed reached down to his pocket and lifted his state alchemist watch and flashed it in the moonlight. "State Alchemist, Edward Elric."

The man's eyes widened immediately. "Shit! The state?!" He gasped. He swung his hand around and dislodged Edward's arm from his shoulder, freeing himself and taking off into the forest.

"H-Hey! You get the hell back here!" Ed snarled and started running after the catnapper.

But a small voice whimpered in pain from the bushes. Edward stopped dead and spun around and returned to the trail without hesitation. If his clanmate is hurt, it's his duty to take care of her. Ed could track these guys down later anyway.

"Ivypaw! Ivypaw, where are you?" Edward called softly into the bushes.

"Over here." Ivypaw's pained voice said from somewhere by a bramble thicket.

Edward rushed over to her, promptly ignoring the pricking bramble thorns. Poor Ivypaw was tossed into the bushes by that bastard. Not just a bush, a bramble bush! The little apprentice now had thorns all over her fur and imbedded in her skin. A small trickle of blood oozed from some of the wounds.

"Ivypaw! Are you alright?!" Ed gasped and quickly scooped the cat into his arms.

"Mhm... I'm okay." She mumbled in response.

Edward frowned and his eyes flashed in anger. "Why did you attack that human!? You would have never won! I think it was pretty brave of you to try and protect the kits, but who would protect you? What were you trying to accomplish?" Ed spoke sternly yet softly.

Ivypaw avoided Edward's eyes and stared at her tail that had spontaneously become much more interesting than maintaining eye contact. "I... I was hoping that if I got caught... I-It would lead me to my sister! Then I could find a way for us to escape together... I'm sorry." Ivypaw murmured.

Ed sighed and patted the grey cat on the head. "I would have done something equally outrageous if it were my brother. But don't you EVER try that again, you hear me?" He said sternly. Ivypaw nodded slowly, a sad look in her eyes.

"Hey" Edward murmured, lifting the small cat higher to make eye contact. "We'll find your sister, don't worry. Dovepaw is important to me too." he then grinned smugly. "You guys don't know it, but I'm pretty famous among other Twolegs. I've had to protect and rescue many people before, and I didn't even know some of them personally, it was simply my job to save them. But this is different. Dovepaw is important to both of us and we won't stop at anything until she is safe in her den with the clan."

Ivypaw smiled slightly and shifted in Edward's arms uncomfortably. "Oh, sorry." Ed mumbled. He moved his arm so it wasn't irritating any of the cat's wounds. "Let's get you home."

(For those of you who don't know what an illegal domestication ring is, it's kinda like a puppy mill. If you don't know what a puppy mill is, don't look it up. D: just don't, it's terrible. A puppy mill is where a bunch of people take strays and other dogs and put them in cages to breed and have more puppies to sell illegally. The dogs live in terrible conditions and usually have many sicknesses and other things. The people who run the mill don't even care if the dogs who had puppies bred with a dog too closely related to the mother. In which case some of the puppies would be born with deformities. :C but on the upside puppy mills are the worst kind of domestication ring. Not all are run in such terrible conditions but are illegal and cruel nonetheless.)


	44. Bonus chapter 2: Assistance, part 5

- Bonus chapter 2 part 5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
AN:

(I will be responding to guest reviews in the beginning of the next chapter after they review.)

*(to DragonCatWolf: AWW! Thank you! :3)*

Also, sorry for the really short chapter. I hadn't updated for a while so I wanted to get SOMETHING out there...

Edward cursed something under his breath as he almost tripped again over a bramble bush. At least he was near the hollow by then.

"What was that?" Ivypaw meowed, looking up at Ed from where he carried her his arms. The curse he muttered sounded odd since it was spoken in Twoleg language... Well, even if Ed was talking in cat language he still sounded weird to Ivypaw.

"Oh, Uh... I said the twoleg equivalent to the cats' curse, Foxdung." Ed replied as he dislodged a trailing string of brambles from where it had caught itself on his leg. Ivypaw simply nodded and stared ahead.

Edward and the small apprentice made their way down the stone hollow's trail and into the camp. A big group of cats rushed over to meet them, meowing excitedly. Jayfeather pushed his way to the front and sniffed the air.

"I smell blood." He stated, staring at Edward with his piercing sightless blue eyes.

"Yeah, Ivypaw's got some pretty nasty thorns stuck in her." Edward said plainly.

He set Ivypaw on the ground next to Jayfeather and the two cats walked (well, Ivypaw limped) away to the medicine den.

Ed looked around for his brother and spotted him sitting on a rock. Edward grinned in amusement when he saw what Alphonse was doing. He was holding a cranky old elder, Purdy, on his lap and scratching him on the head. the elder purred happily, his leg kicking slightly like a dog getting scratched behind it's ear.

"Hey Al!" Ed called, walking over to his brother.

Al looked up and smiled at Ed. "Hey Brother." His gaze darkened when he spotted blood on Ed's shirt.

Edward waved his hand as if to dismiss his brother's worry. "Ivypaw had a few thorns stuck in her. Don't worry, she's fine." now it wad Ed's turn to become serious. "But now I know it isn't animal control who has been taking the cats. It is definitely an illegal domestication ring." He murmured.

Al's eyes widened. "Are you sure?!" Ed nodded in response. "That could cause trouble... But at least it allows you to actually stop them without needing an additional reason."

"Yeah but I was still hoping it was animal control... They would treat the cats gently and humanely and have an actual reason to capture them. But these bastards here are NOT humane." Ed snarled.

"Eh? What's with all the yellin'?" Purdy mumbled, blinking open his eyes and glaring at Edward. "Keep it down, ya Twoleg younguns'."

"Oh, sorry Purdy." Ed apologized.

Alphonse laughed in amusement, he could almost imagine what the old cat had said to them. "Sorry kitty." Al murmured, scratching the cat behind his ears again. Purdy started purring again and fell back asleep.

"So, when will we go after them?" Al asked.

"Later today. We may need a cat to track them if we can't find out where the catnappers are stationed." Ed replied quietly, making sure not to wake the cranky sleeping elder.

"That's kinda ironic." Al laughed. "Using a cat to sniff out a person instead of a dog."

Ed smiled and nodded. "Yeah. But dogs are loyal to people and obey their masters. Domestic cats could care less about commands. But these clan cats are more intelligent than a normal cat, they care about their clanmates and would do anything to get them back."

Alphonse smirked and glanced at Ed. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, we would do anything for each other too." Ed laughed.

"So what now? Do can we go after them?"

"Yeah... Lets talk to forester first." Edward stood up and walked towards the leader's den. Al carefully got up and gently removed the sleeping elder from his lap. He set the old cat on the warm rock and followed his brother.


	45. Bonus chapter 2: Assistance, part 6

- Bonus chapter 2 part 6

(Sorry for the wait... And those of you who are waiting for me to update Sapphire, I apologize. I have had a bit of writer's block.)

"Ivypaw and Cloudtail are coming with me. Everyone else hide in case the twolegs come back." Edward announced to the cats gathered beneath the highledge before dawn. "Cloudtail, you track the twolegs to find their hideout." Ed commanded.

Cloudtail snorted. "That'll be easy! All I have to do is follow their stench!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Okay... The twolegs are most likely keeping the cats locked in cages. Ivypaw will help me open the cages once we get there. Got it?" he continued.

"Yes sir!" The cats replied. Ivypaw and Cloudtail approached Edward and nodded to him. With that, they left the camp. Cloudtail and Ivypaw had their noses in the air as they walked down the trail.

The surrounding lush forest was silent and still. The air was warm with a gentle breeze whistling through the green leaves. The cats walked along without conversation, waiting for Cloudtail to pick up a scent.

"This way!" Cloudtail suddenly announced. He bounded off into the trees towards the road, or as the cats call it, the 'Thunderpath.'

"Hey wait up!" Edward and the other cats called, running after the determined white warrior.

They sprinted through the forest, getting farther and farther away from the camp and the lake. It seemed that the scent trail led to the edge of Thunderclan territory and nearer to Windclan.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Ed panted.

"Of course! I could smell that twoleg stench from Riverclan territory!" Cloudtail shouted back.

"That's not very nice..." Ed mumbled.

Cloudtail shot him an apologetic glance and kept running. The dark blue sky began to lighten as dawn approached. The plan was to get the cats out of the cages before the people woke up. then Ed would confront them in case they try to get away with the cats.

"Stop!" Ivypaw suddenly hissed. Edward skidded to a halt and ducked behind a bush. When Cloudtail didn't obey, Ivypaw bit into his tail as it whisked by and dragged him back. "The twolegs are nearby, I can hear them. We don't want to storm in there without looking the situation over."

Cloudtail ducked his head in embarrassment. "Sorry... I got carried away."

"Good work, Ivypaw." Ed murmured.

He peeked over the bush he crouched behind and looked around. There were two vans parked in a clearing near the road on the farthest end. many shiny cages were visible inside one of the car's open doors. Two men were standing at the far edge of the clearing. They talked to each other and gave an occasional laugh, oblivious to the spying cats and alchemist. three other men were sitting in some camping chairs, fast asleep and snoring to their heart's content.

Edward ducked back behind the bush and looked down at his companions. "Okay... Those sleeping humans should help mask any noise me might make while freeing the trapped warriors. But the other two people might cause a problem. They are pretty far away and probably won't hear us but just try to be quiet." Ivypaw and Cloudtail nodded. "Alright. I'm gonna sneak around the clearing and get to the vehicl- Er... Monsters from the other side so I won't be seen. You crawl through the bushes and jump into the back of the monster and tell the trapped cats to stay quiet and that I'm here to help." Ed commanded.

The two cats nodded and slunk away into the undergrowth. Edward took one last glance at the two men who stood at the edge of the clearing. 'Definitely not going that way...' Ed thought. He crouched down and slowly crawled around the left side of the grassy clearing.

Edward peeked over the bush once he was next to one of the vans. He glanced across the clearing and saw Cloudtail and Ivypaw looking at him from the undergrowth. He nodded his head and the two cats sprang into action.

* * *

- Kittehs

Ivypaw leaped up into the van as quietly as possible. She shuddered at the feeling of cold hard metal beneath her paws and looked up at the cages stacked up against the walls of the 'monster'. Dozens of glowing eyes stared back at her in surprise and happiness.

"Ivypaw! What are you doing?" A deep voice hissed.

Ivypaw turned to the right and saw a pair of amber eyes belonging to a big brown tabby staring at her. "Brambleclaw! We are here to rescue you!" Ivypaw murmured.

Brambleclaw tilted his head. "We?"

"Yeah me and- wait... Cloudtail? Cloudtail where are you?" Ivypaw called softly.

A quiet thump sounded and a fluffy white cat landed beside the grey apprentice. Cloudtail shook out his fur and groaned in disgust. "Sorry, I stepped in some icky black stuff..." He muttered.

"Icky? Really?" Ivypaw huffed in annoyed amusement.

"Hey! I didn't know what it was!" The white cat argued.

"Shhh! Keep it down!" Ivypaw hissed. Cloudtail shut his mouth and obeyed. Ivypaw sighed and turned back to the caged cats. "We are here to rescue you. Keep quiet and try not to make any noise whatsoever."

The cats nodded in response but Brambleclaw looked skeptical. "How can you rescue us? I've tried to get the den things unlocked but the shiny web is hard and a square piece of it is keeping then from being opened."

Ivypaw grinned and waved her tail. "We have a friend!"

The cats saw a figure emerge from the bushes and run over. Their eyes widened in fear as the Twoleg stood in the doorway. hisses and snarls started rising from the caged cats.

"Ivypaw! Watch out!" Brambleclaw snarled.

"Shhh! Be quiet! It's alright, He's with us! This is Edward, our friend. He knows how to unlock the cages. We're gonna get you out of here." Ivypaw hissed.

Brambleclaw stared at the small grey apprentice in bewilderment. "You can't be serious! That's a TWOLEG! they can't be trusted!" He snarled rather loudly.

"Shhh!" Ivypaw hissed.

"Ivypaw... Izzat you?" A sleepy voice slurred.

Ivypaw jerked her head to the right and saw a familiar fuzzy light grey face peer out from within a cage. "Dovepaw! You're okay!" Ivypaw purred, scrambling over to her sister. "We are gonna get you out!"

"Okay... But..." Her voice trailed off as she peeked over her sister and saw Edward. He smiled and waved.

"METALPAW!" Dovepaw gasped happily.

Edward put a finger to his lips and shushed the excited kitty. But she still shivered with happiness.

"Metalpaw?" Brambleclaw wondered aloud.

"It's a long story, Brambleclaw sir, but we have to get you out first." Edward whispered.

The Thunderclan deputy blinked in surprise when he heard the twoleg speak his language but didn't say anything.

"Alright let's start opening these cages." Ed announced. He walked over to Brambleclaw's cage and studied the lock. "Hmmm... A slide bolt lock, simple." he pulled the bolt from the catch and opened the cage. The big brown tabby leaped out and shook out his fur.

"Thanks!"

Ed nodded in response and moved on to the next cage. It had the same simple lock so it opened quickly. A small white and orange Windclan she-cat stepped out warily and shot a glance at Edward. He smiled at her and motioned to the exit. "Go on, It's okay. Just be careful not to wake the people outside." the cat nodded and leaped out of the van. Edward then turned to Brambleclaw, Cloudtail, and Ivypaw. "To open the cages simply grab the long piece of metal with your teeth and pull on the flat end until it come off. Then the door should open." He commanded. The three cats nodded and got to work.

Edward unlocked the next cage, letting a black tom out. Next was a young, sweet-looking light brown she-cat. Then Ed came across an annoyingly familiar face, Berrynose.

"It's about time someone came to rescue me! Don't try anything funny, Twoleg! I'll rip you to shreds!" Berrynose huffed, strutting out of the cage. As soon as he was out of Edward's range, he took off sprinting with his tail tucked between his legs. Ed snorted and continued letting the cats out.

The bottom row of cages were now empty. Ed stood and began opening the uppermost cages. A white tom, a brown and grey she-cat, an orange tom, and many more cats he didn't recognize. Most of the cats taken must be either Windclan cats or loners.

Edward opened another cage and waited for the cat to leap out. But a bundle of brown fur came flying at his face. Ed gasped and stumbled back as the frantic cat latched itself to his shirt. It was purring uncontrollably and nuzzled it's head against Ed's chest.

"Oh, thank you! thank you! thank you!" It purred. "Are you really Metalpaw?" it suddenly looked up at Edward. Ed stared in shock as he recognized the green eyes and reddish-brown paws of Emberfoot.

"Emberfoot? You fur ball, you got yourself captured too?" Ed chuckled.

Emberfoot's eyes widened and he nuzzled Ed closer in the equivalent to a hug for a cat. "I knew you were alive! I couldn't believe that someone as strong as you could die so easily! But why are you a Twoleg?"

Ed laughed and hugged the cat back and then pulled Emberfoot off of his shirt and set him down. "Well, I agree with you there. But it's a long story and you have to go!"

Emberfoot looked crestfallen, ears and tail drooping.

"Oh, alright! I'll tell you but first help me unlock these cages!"

Emberfoot brightened and scurried off to free the other cats. Ed sighed and turned back to the last cage in the row. A familiar fluffy grey face smiled back at him.

"Hi Ed." Dovepaw murmured.

Edward blinked in surprise. "I thought Ivypaw unlocked your cage!"

"No, she couldn't get it open so I told her to let you do it." Dovepaw said.

Ed chuckled and pulled at the lock. Dovepaw was right, it was stuck. Edward pulled again at the bolt but it just wouldn't open. He growled and gripped the bolt and pulled harder. Suddenly the lock gave out and Edward was sent flying backwards. He felt a fluffy object land in his chest and looked up to see Dovepaw.

"It's good to see you, ya fur ball." Ed chuckled.

Dovepaw smiled and nuzzled him. "It's good to see you too." She purred. "Is that everyone?" She asked, looking around.

"I think so." Ed replied. He stood up and checked the cages over again. "Yep! Let's go!"

Dovepaw nodded and leaped out of the van. Ed was about to follow his friend when he heard a terrified screech. Ed's eyes widened in horror.

That was Dovepaw

* * *

Dun dun duuuuun! cliffhanger! what has Dovepaw gotten herself into now?!


	46. Bonus chapter 2: Assistance, part 7

(sorry for the wait! Dx i have had the worst writer's block lately. and sorry if this chapter isn't very good. and short...)

* * *

-Bonus chapter 2: Assistance part 7

* * *

"H-HEY! LET GO OF ME!" Dovepaw's voice snarled.

Ed jumped from the vehicle and gasped in shock. A man was holding Dovepaw by the scruff and glared at her angrily as she flailed around.

"Damn cat! How did you get out?!" The man growled, lifting Dovepaw up to get a better look at her. She took that chance to swipe her claws at his face, scratching him on the nose. He gasped and covered the small wound with his hand. "Why you little..." he raised his fist to hit the little cat.

"LET HER GO YOU BASTARD!" Ed snarled. he took a flying leap and kicked the guy in the face, making him go flying backwards and drop the cat. Edward landed in a crouch and caught Dovepaw in his arms.

The man groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. He glared at Edward hatefully, a large bruise forming on his face and a trickle of blood flowed from his nose. "You little brat!" he snarled.

"You're gonna pay for that 'little brat' comment..." Ed growled, placing Dovepaw on the ground. He stood up and got into a fighting stance.

"Ha! You want to fight?! Five against you, a little runt? How pathet-" The guy's words were cut off as Edward smashed his fist into the man's cheek. He stumbled back with a surprised gasp. He turned to the four guys who stood around watching in amusement as their friend got pummeled by a kid. "Henry, Ferris, Scott, Jake, get your lazy asses over here and help me!" He shouted.

The four men chuckled and walked over casually. "You really need help against little kid?" one of them chucked. Edward glared at him, making the guy glance around nervously.

"Well this 'little kid' is about to kick your ass!" Ed snarled.

"Yeah? Why bother anyway, we're just here to capture these filthy strays!" The man retorted.

"Legally?" Ed smirked.

"Suuure, kid. All these kitties will have nice homes once we are done!" the leader said softly.

Ed grinned evilly. "What kitties?"

The men looked puzzled at Edward's question. One of then went over to the van and peeked inside. He suddenly came running back.

"The cats, they're gone!" he gasped.

"WHAT?!" the leader snarled. He looked at Edward and scowled. "You! It took us forever to capture all of those flea-bitten cats!"

Edward smiled. "I don't suppose you have any legal documents stating that you are allowed to be doing such a thing, huh?"

"What's it to you if we don't?"

Edward's grin grew even bigger. "I thought I already told one of your guys..." Ed flashed his pocket watch. "I'm a State alchemist."

The five men paled as they stared at the silver watch in Ed's hand. "S-State alchemist?"

"Yep. What happened to that other guy I ran into?" Ed asked.

"You mean Tyler? He suddenly quit yesterday because he didn't want to get in trouble if we were caught." They answered.

Ed smirked and tilted his head. "I wonder what happened to make him chicken out like that?"

Four of the men took a step back in fear. The leader scowled. "Come on, you pansies, he's just a kid! There's five of us and one of him!"

"B-But he's an alchemist!" One of the men stammered.

"So what?"

"Have you SEEN what those guys can do?!"

"Psh, I bet he isn't even a state alchemist! That watch could be fake for all we know. And besides, I don't think the military would allow such a shorty to join, not to mention he's just a kid!" The leader laughed mockingly.

Edward growled and twitched, his fists clenching in anger. "Okay you bastards... I'm gonna kick your asses for calling me short, and then I'm gonna kick your asses AGAIN for messing with my friends!" Ed hissed.

"I'd like to see you try!" the man's laughter was cut off at the sound of someone clapping. He turned to look at Edward in confusion. Ed was grinning evilly with his hands pressed together in front of him. The man smirked, "What? Are you happy and you kn-" Again his words were cut off as The ground around him suddenly began to morph and bend. A big hand rose from the earth and wrapped itself around the leader tightly. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Now you guys just sit tight while I go check on my friends." Ed said with a smirk. He stood up and dusted himself off and started walking casually into the forest. "Come on Dovepaw." he called to the awe-struck cat who was still staring at the trapped human. She obeyed and followed him.

"Dammit! Henry, Ferris, Get me out of this thing!" The man shouted, squirming around in the stone restraint. He looked to his right and saw his friends, who were also trapped by earth just like their boss.

"Sorry... Sir..." They muttered. Their leader growled and slammed his head against the stone in frustration and annoyance.

"Idiots..."


End file.
